Welcoming Back McNally
by Meghannna
Summary: This is companion story to "Welcome Back, McNally." That story was told from Andy's point of view and this is told from Sam's. They tell the story of what happens when Andy gets back from Project Dakota.
1. Welcome Back

**AN: I know I finished _Welcome Back, McNally_ a while ago. I took time to get as much of this story finished as I could before posting. I'm more than halfway done the entire story. CRAZY! **

**I don't think you need to have read _Welcome Back, McNally _first, but I recommend it. Some of the scenes are exactly the same, but it's all from Sam's POV. I really like writing from his POV. Let me know what you think!**

Of course Sam had heard what happened the night before. Oliver called him when it was over and everybody at the station had been talking about it since he walked in that morning. Why no one told him _while _it was actually happening was not so clear.

When he talked to Oliver, he was pissed. He should have been called in. He was the right man for that job- with or without McNally being involved. At least, that's what he thought before he spent an hour talking it out with Frank. He agreed that Sam was more than qualified for the takedown. He also told him that he definitely would have called him had Andy not been in any danger. Frank told him that they needed the focus to be on the good of the entire operation, not just making sure she got out of it unscathed. After listening to the whole thing he knew two things; that Callaghan had something to do with the decision and that they were probably right.

"Nash, just go," he said to his partner and she looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?" She asked innocently before taking another quick peek at Frank's office. He looked past her long enough to see Andy smile at Nick and then back at Frank. Traci had been craning her neck for an hour and it was starting to irritate him.

"We're done," he shrugged. He did not want to talk about Andy with anyone, but especially not her best friend. "I'm leaving, too."

He illustrated this by standing up and walking out of the office. He wanted to leave. He really wanted to leave and go get a drink, but he couldn't. He wasn't sure why he couldn't. Maybe he needed to see her up close. Maybe he needed to talk to her. He paced the hallway a few times before walking right into Oliver.

"What are you doing out here?" Oliver asked.

"Nothing," Sam said, shrugging.

"Brother," Oliver sighed, shaking his head. He looked back toward the crowd outside of Frank's office and then back at Sam. "You need to calm down. Go to the Penny. I'll meet you there in 10 minutes."

Sam watched the crowd start to disperse and Oliver turned to see what he was looking at so intently. They both sighed as they caught a clear sight of Andy hugging Nick outside of Frank's office before walking to their friends.

"Now what?" Sam asked and Oliver shrugged. Sam leaned against the wall outside of the locker room and sighed again. He should have left when he had the chance.

Oliver looked at him once more before he got genuinely excited at Andy's arrival.

"McNally!" He yelled and Sam could not look over at them. "Glad you're back!"

"See you tomorrow, partner," Traci said as she passed him and he nodded to himself while she continued to the parking lot. He could have sworn she was smiling when she said it, but since he wasn't looking at her, it was hard to know for sure.

Sam finally looked over at his best friend and his ex-girlfriend. She hadn't even seen him yet, but she did then. She was hugging Oliver, smiling, but as soon as she noticed him, he watched her smile fade until she pulled back from Oliver.

"I'm glad you're safe," Oliver told her. Sam couldn't agree more, but he wasn't going to say anything just yet. "Sorry I didn't get to see you last night. I had my hands full."

"Don't worry about it," she said and Sam saw her one shoulder shrug and he held back his smile at the familiar gesture. "I'm just glad we all got out of there alive." That caught his attention. He knew it had been an intense take down from what Oliver and Frank had said, but they didn't make it sound _that_ dangerous.

"Yeah," Oliver nodded. "Listen," he said and he finally looked back at Sam who was still watching them. He quickly looked back at Andy, though. "I've got to go change before heading to the Penny, but I'll see you there, right?"

"Not tonight," she told him and Sam was actually glad to hear that. He wasn't ready for a night of trying _not_to look at her across the bar. "I haven't been home yet. I spent the night at my dad's last night and came straight here."

"Fair enough. We'll see you tomorrow, though, for your Welcome Home Party?" Oliver asked and Sam rolled his eyes. Something else no one told him about. Was he supposed to avoid the bar? Was he expected to show up with the rest of his squad and celebrate her and Nick's arrival home?

"I'll definitely be there for that. Wouldn't miss it."

"Fantastic," Oliver said. They both started walking toward him and he decided it was time to move. He pushed himself away from the wall and made sure to keep his eyes on her. "We're all really glad you're back, McNally," Oliver said and she smiled. "Brother, I'll see you in a little while."

"Yeah," he said and he thought he heard his voice crack. But he didn't break eye contact with Andy. He did hear Oliver chuckle before going into the locker room, but he ignored it. "Welcome back," he said to Andy.

"Thanks," she said before looking down at her feet. He noticed her clenching her fists which was something she did when she was anxious. That made him feel a little more confident, but also a little worried. She was stronger- stronger than him most of the time.

"McNally," he said through a sigh, and she looked at him. He didn't know why he cared so much, but he did and it bothered him. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she answered and he flinched at the harshness in her voice. He nodded, biting his lip.

"Listen, I've been where you are," he told her. "I know what it's like after that first time. It can be hard; it was for me."

"I'm fine Sam," she told him and he just shrugged. "I'll be fine," she said softer and he scoffed. She looked surprised, but she never understood just how stubborn she could be.

"You _will_be," he told her and he knew it came out bitterly, but he couldn't help it. "Like I said, I've been there. So, if you need to talk about anything, let me know."

"Thanks," she said uncertainly. He nodded and turned to leave. He hadn't expected on staying to talk with her, but he knew he wanted to. He still wasn't sure how he felt about her being back. He knew it would happen eventually and he was very happy she was safe, but he was still so thrown by her reappearance.

"Sam!" She called from where she remained and he turned slowly. He wasn't sure what she had planned. They watched each other and she looked surprised herself.

"Andy?" He so rarely called her by her first name, but it seemed like the right move. His voice seemed to shake her out of whatever trance she was under and she started toward him. He couldn't help but notice how confident she looked. It terrified him.

When she reached him, she took one deep breath and hugged him tightly around the neck. He stiffened involuntarily, but let out a relieved sigh and hugged her back with one arm. It felt so good to hold her again, but he wasn't sure if he should feel that way- if she wanted him to feel that way. When she finally pulled away from him, she looked into his eyes and he noticed a deep cut on her forehead that she was clearly trying to hide.

"I'm sorry," she said, surprising him almost more than the hug had. "I know you want to help, but, uh, I'm okay. I am."

"Uh, yeah. Okay," he stammered and he internally rolled his eyes at himself. "I meant what I said, McNally. I know you're okay and you don't need my help, but call me if that changes."

"Thank you," she said with a smile and he couldn't help but smile back. They both turned toward the door and, out of habit, he put his hand on the small of her back to lead her out. He immediately regretted it and tensed for a second before pulling it back and putting both of his hands into his pocket. He didn't want to risk any other intimate gestures.

They continued outside together in silence. He just kept looking straight ahead, for the best. But, out of the corner of his eye, he could see her clenching and unclenching her fists again. She could deny it all she wanted, but something was up.

"Have a good night, Detective," a young officer who had been sucking up to him since his promotion said as they crossed paths. He wondered if she knew yet.

"Goodnight," Sam said before watching Andy for a reaction.

"Detective?" She asked and he nodded. "Congratulations."

"Ah, thanks," he said, nodding again. Three months ago when he got promoted, he'd heard the same thing over and over again. Now, it seemed a little odd. "Goodnight, McNally."

"Goodnight, _Detective_," she said and he couldn't fight the smile that followed. He watched her turn away from him and get into Traci's car.

As they pulled away, he got into his truck and held onto his steering wheel until his knuckles turned white. He let out a deep breath and rested his head in the middle of the wheel and sat up again, starting the truck. He wasn't going to let Andy's sudden reappearance shake his whole world. He'd done it too many times to count and he was tired of blaming her for their problems. He knew it was all on him.

If he had just told her how he felt sooner.

* * *

Sam walked into the Penny and saw all of Andy's friends huddling around a small table. He never understood why they couldn't move to another table. He was surprised to see Collins rubbing elbows with everyone while Andy was home alone.

He sat down next to Oliver and let the bartender know he was there with a flick of his wrist. He got a scotch in return.

"So," Oliver said, dragging out the word. Sam took a deep breath and waited for him to continue. He knew that Oliver was waiting for him to say something, so they both sat in silence for a minute. "Sammy. What happened back there?"

"Nothing," he shrugged. He felt like he was lying, but he also felt like it was the truth. They'd talked and hugged, but nothing substantial was shared between them.

"Six months of silence and _nothing_happened?"

"What did you expect would happen, buddy?" Sam asked, finally looking at him. Oliver shrugged, but he looked a little sad. "We weren't going to run into each other's arms, if that's you think."

"Did you at least tell her you missed her?" He asked and Sam shook his head.

"Who says I missed her?"

"Your face," Oliver shrugged and Sam downed half of his drink. "So blind. So blind," he sang and Sam hit his head a few times against the bar.

"How are the girls?" He asked changing the topic and Oliver laughed a little too loud.

"Oh, they're great," he told him. "How's McNally?"

"I'm going to leave if you don't stop," he said and Oliver put his hands up in surrender. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

"I'll believe that when it happens," Oliver laughed and Sam rolled his eyes. "But seriously, how are you doing with all this?"

"I'm fine," he shrugged. To his own ears, he sounded just as stubborn as Andy. "It's just going to take some getting used to. It's been a while."

"It's a good thing she's back, Brother," Oliver told him and he looked at him. "You'll see."

"Thanks, Buddy."

"You coming tomorrow night?"

"I don't know," Sam shrugged. "See how the day goes, I guess."

"Okay," Oliver nodded.

They sat together through another round of beers. They talked about work and about Oliver's family. They didn't bring up Andy again. As they got up to leave, each throwing down a few bills, Oliver clapped him on the back a couple of times and Sam nodded solemnly at him.


	2. What Are Friends For?

**AN: Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming! I love knowing what you are all thinking! **

**As I read through this story and the original, I realize there are going to be some inconsistencies between them. Since I was never planning on writing this when I was writing _Welcome Back, McNally, _I think it's bound to happen. But, I'm doing my best to keep them to a minimum. Enjoy!**

"I'll see you tonight?" Traci asked as she stood up to leave. She didn't, though. And she wouldn't until she got an answer. He was starting to understand how she worked and it was clear why she and Jerry got along so well together.

"I'll see you tonight," he confirmed and she smiled before leaving.

He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. He closed his eyes for just a second, but when he opened them, Luke was standing in the doorway and watching him.

"Callaghan," he said in greeting and Luke nodded before walking to his desk. "Congratulations on the take down."

"Thanks, Sammy," he said as he rifled through his desk. "Sorry we didn't call you in to help, but we had it covered."

How could he possibly think it was a good idea to say that? Sam scoffed in reply and nodded. "It's fine," he shrugged. "I heard all about it. You got your man."

"I got my _men_," he bragged and Sam rolled his eyes. "Have you seen McNally?"

"Saw her yesterday when she and Collins finished up with Frank. Why?"

"Just curious," Luke shrugged and Sam stood to leave. "Don't be so hard on her."

"Don't worry about it, Callaghan," he said before leaving Luke standing alone in the D's office.

Sam didn't understand where Luke thought he got off talking about him and Andy. He never seemed to have a problem with it and it made Sam want to strangle him. And it wasn't that he didn't like Callaghan- he did. He was a damn good detective and he was a bearable guy most of the time. He just hated that Luke had the history with Andy that he did and how it made him feel superior to Sam's own relationship with her.

As he left the station, he stopped in the locker room to see if Oliver was around. He was packing his bag when he found him. "Hey, Brother," Sam said, sitting on the bench and Oliver smiled down at him. "What's got you so happy?"

"I don't know," he shrugged and then nodded toward the door. Sam stood up and they walked out to the parking lot together. "Did you and Nash finish your case up today?"

"Yup."

"Always the conversationalist," Oliver laughed when they reached their cars. "Listen, I will see you in a couple of hours. Okay?"

"Okay," Sam said, opening his door.

"I'm not kidding, Sammy," Oliver was very serious now and Sam nodded back, rolling his eyes. "It's a big deal for McNally and Collins."

"Oliver," he sighed. "I will see you tonight. Go home, have dinner with your family, and let me know when you're on your way."

Oliver smiled triumphantly and got into his car. Sam hung back a second before climbing into his truck.

* * *

He walked into the Penny and it was more packed than he'd ever seen it. "Hey, Swarek," Luke called from the bar and he walked toward him hesitantly.

"What's up, Homicide?" He asked as he sat down next to him.

"I shouldn't have said what I said earlier," Luke said and Sam pursed his lips and nodded. "Sorry, Sammy."

"Like I said- Don't worry about it."

Luke nodded and bought him a beer before finding his girlfriend, leaving Sam alone. He looked around, but it was too crowded to find Oliver. Andy and Nick hadn't arrived yet, so he moved toward the back of the bar, right next to the back door. You never know when you need to make a quick exit.

He couldn't see the door where he knew they would enter, but he sure as hell heard the applause. People cheered, Oliver woo-ed- it was chaos. He smiled, though. They deserved it. It was their first _real _UC operation and they kicked ass. He knew how hard they worked and he knew enough of the take down to know just how intricate it was.

Sam watched Andy make her way around the crowd, hugging each person she came across. He watched her order a drink and get swept from table to table, from group to group. He watched as Callaghan kissed the crown of her head. He didn't want to watch any more, so he drank the rest of his beer, left the bottle on a nearby table, and walked out back to get some air.

It was a nice night, and the brick of the building was cool through his shirt. He could no longer deny it- he wanted her back. More than anything, though, he wanted her to be happy and he wasn't sure he could still give that to her. He had broken her heart and left her in that very parking lot crying. He knew now that he was crazy for blaming her for their problems. She wouldn't have left if he had never been so weak.

He heard the door open and close quickly as Andy slid out to rest against the building on the other side of the door. He crossed his arms as she took a long sip of her beer.

"I don't think you're supposed to bring those out here," he told her and watched as she nearly choked. She never took surprises very well, especially the kind that sneak up on her.

"Hey," she said as she tried to regain her breathing. He smiled at her. "I didn't know you were out here. Actually, I didn't know you were here at all."

"Yeah," he shrugged. "Well, you were busy in there. I didn't want to interrupt you or anything. I just came out for some air."

"Yeah, me too," she looked away from him and let out a slow breath as if to emphasize her point. "I sat home alone all day, so excited to see everyone tonight, but it's all a lot more overwhelming than I thought."

He wasn't expecting her to say that. While he was watching her, he could have sworn she was having a great time. He remembered what it was like, though, and he couldn't blame her. "By the time you're back at work, things will have blown over. You and Collins will be welcomed back enthusiastically, but when it comes to the job, it'll be normal."

"I just want to go back now," she told him and she looked at him again. He just nodded; he knew she had more to say. "I can't sit at home for another six days while _everyone _I know is working. It's only been a day and I'm already going crazy."

"You'll miss it when you're back on the streets," he warned her, even though he knew that probably wasn't true at all. "Trust me McNally. Take this time to relax. You're going though something huge; you have to decompress a little."

"I've decompressed," she laughed. He loved her laugh; it was almost childlike. "I just want to go back to how things were."

He couldn't help but agree with her there. He wished they could go back to how things were before- before she left, before he broke up with her, before Jerry died. He wasn't so sure if that was how she meant it, but that was how he took it. He couldn't look away from her, not even when she closed her eyes and turned away from him.

"You weren't at the take down," she said and he finally turned away. He wondered if she knew _why _he wasn't there.

"I was off that night," he told her and she glared at him again. "They didn't call me in because they thought I wouldn't be able to stay focused on the big picture. They thought I would be distracted by... by you."

"Who thought that?" She asked and he heard her defenses go up. "That's ridiculous."

"Is it?" He asked, looking at her. He shook his head and didn't wait for her answer. "Callaghan and Best made the decision not to call me up. Oliver called me after the whole thing was finished and I talked to Frank about yesterday. I would like to think they're wrong, but I can't know for sure."

"Sam, you're a cop first," Andy told him, shaking her head. She was really upset about it. "You would have been able to keep your head on straight. I mean, we're not even together anymore."

That was a punch in the gut. As if he needed reminding. "Thanks, McNally. I'm well aware of that."

"I'm just saying. I don't know, but isn't that why we broke up?" She asked and he shook his head, frustrated. "So you could stay objective?"

"Andy," he sighed, scratching his head. He wasn't mad, but he had to get away from her right now. He pushed himself away from the wall and grabbed the door handle. "I can't talk about this right now. We can't do this _now_."

"I don't want to get into this, either Sam," she yelled and he flinched at her tone. She stood away from the wall, squared her shoulders and leveled her voice. "I'm just confused. You should have been there the other night; I shouldn't have had anything to do with it."

"You're right," he nodded. "But we don't have the best history when it comes to undercover work. _Callaghan _knows that and he knows I'm not over this. He knows that the second I saw that cut on your forehead- the one you're trying so hard to hide- I would have gone on a rampage."

He didn't await her reaction, he just threw the bar door open and walked straight through the bar until he reached the door on the opposite side. He couldn't stay there any longer. He couldn't believe he had just said that to her. He couldn't believe that they had already starting yelling at each other. She'd only been back 48 hours and he was already yelling at her. They were already disagreeing about something.

When he got into his truck, he rolled his neck but didn't start the engine. He heard a knock on the passenger window and turned to see Noelle watching him. He unlocked the door and she climbed in.

"You and that rookie," she said, shaking her head and Sam let out a humorless laugh. "You're not so great at hiding your feelings, you know? Neither is she."

"Thanks, Noelle," he said sarcastically.

"Sam," she sighed and he looked at her. "We've known each other a long time, right?" He nodded. "I know how you operate. I've always known how you've felt about McNally. You're not fooling anyone. Except, maybe McNally."

"I don't know what you and Ollie want from me," he told her and she just shrugged. "Things ended between me and her. There's no going back."

"So, go forward!" She said, exasperated. "Listen. Come back inside and have a drink with your friends. Don't worry about her tonight. Deal with it tomorrow."

"Okay," he relented after a few moments and she smiled triumphantly. She was one of his best friends and she did know him better than almost anyone, so he knew he should listen to her. They both got out of the truck and walked back in together. He didn't see Andy through the throngs of people, so he let out a deep breath and followed Noelle to the bar where Oliver and Frank were saving their seats.

He actually ended up having a pretty good time. Having his oldest friends there with him was all part of the fun. He still spent too much time looking for Andy and watching her when he eventually found her, but his friends let it slide. He watched her leave with Collins, Nash, and Peck and let out a sigh of relief. How did he end up outlasting the guests of honor when he had planned to leave hours ago?

Just then, Oliver launched into a story about something that happened with Epstein earlier that day and he remembered. He had more than McNally to think about. He had a demanding job and even more demanding friends.


	3. Afternoon Off

**AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing. You're all awesome and I'm really glad that you're liking the story! Let me know what you think about this chapter!**

Sam and Traci were sitting at their desks, finishing up the paperwork for the case they had closed the day before. He had a headache, but he wasn't hung over. He just couldn't stop thinking about the conversation he and Andy had had outside of the Penny.

"Swarek, Nash," Frank called, walking into the D's office. "Good job on the case yesterday. That was a big one."

"Thanks, Sir."

"Thanks, Boss," Sam said and Frank crossed his arms and looked down at them as they continued looking up at him.

"Are you almost done with the paperwork?" Frank asked and Sam and Traci looked at each other before turning back to him.

"I think we're just about done," Traci answered and Sam nodded.

"Good," Frank nodded. He looked at his watch and then back at the partners. "When you're finished you can take the rest of the day off."

"Really?" Traci asked, clearly excited.

"Don't make me change my mind, Nash," Frank warned with a friendly chuckle. "I'll call you in if we need you."

"Thanks," they said in unison and Frank smiled before leaving them alone again.

"This is great," Traci said before going back to typing. "Leo stayed home sick from school. I can go hang out with him and Dex until dinner."

Sam just nodded. He knew she wasn't looking for a response, just an outlet. He wanted to be friends with her; he figured it would make for a solid partnership, but they just couldn't have that relationship. At least not until things with Andy were resolved or completely over. And, who knew when that would happen?

"I'm all done," Sam said a few minutes later and Traci smiled over at him. "Need any help?"

"I'm done, too."

They got up and left the station together. "I'll see you later, Nash."

"Bye, Sam," she said and they walked to their cars on either side of the lot.

* * *

He considered going home. He considered going to get something to eat. But then he decided on going to see Andy. He needed to apologize for arguing with her.

It had been a while since he'd been to Andy's, but it was like his truck just took him there. He didn't really remember getting there, just parking in her parking spot and looking up toward her bedroom window. It was all instinct. He got nervous, though, when he got into the building and as he walked up the stairs to her front door.

As he went to knock, Andy startled him by opening the door and she, too, was clearly surprised. "Oh, hey," he said and she simply stepped back far enough to let him in. "Sorry, I was just about to knock," he told her as he walked in. He had to stop himself from looking around to see if anything had changed.

Instead, he watched as she closed her door with her back and leaned against it. He was pleased that she was at least looking at him.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" She asked and he took a deep breath before answering.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry about being a jerk last night," he said and she nodded. "I have no right to be a jerk in this situation."

"Not really, no," she said and he smiled at her. He could tell she was softening. "But it's okay. I forgive you. I guess I've been a little off since I got back; I wasn't exactly the friendliest person either."

"I understand," he said. And he did. When he first got back from his first long undercover op, he'd had a hard time fitting back into his real life. It can take some time. "You're going to be okay. As soon as you're back at work you're going to be the same old McNally that left six months ago."

"That's what I'm waiting for," she sighed. She looked at him and he could tell that she wanted to confide in him. "Nick seems so settled already. He doesn't have a care in the world."

"Everyone is different," he told her and then took a small step toward her. "Andy, you're a cop to the very core. There have been so many times that you should have taken time off that you didn't. You got shot and didn't even go home to change clothes before jumping back into the job. You got attacked and refused to take a backseat on the case. You hate sitting around with no purpose. It's why you left last year when you got suspended. You'll be yourself when you're back on the streets. Do you have to cleared before they let you back?"

"Yeah," she nodded. Sam could tell that he had surprised her by his speech, but she soldiered on. "I have an appointment with the shrink tomorrow morning. If I don't get cleared tomorrow, I'll have to go back Monday and won't be able to start work until Tuesday."

"You'll be fine, McNally," he assured her. "You'll be back Monday."

"That's the plan," she told him with a smile. "It's going to be weird; never riding with you again."

"Yeah," he nodded and laughed. "I like Nash and all, but I'm going to miss you out there."

"Despite everything, we did work well together," she said and he nodded again. He knew they worked well together- and not just at the job. He watched as she shook her head and forced a smile. "I was just about to go buy some groceries, I'll walk you down."

"Oh, right," he said. He forgot that she was on the way out when he got there. He waited in the hallway as she locked the door behind them. "So, did you have a good time last night?"

"It was fun," she said. "I missed everyone so much. It was really good to see them."

"They missed you. Especially Shaw."

"Why Shaw?" She asked through her trilling laugh.

"He's been stuck riding with Peck the past six months."

"So, all she did was complain about being a rookie again and Nick leaving without a word?"

"Exactly," he said as they walked out on the sidewalk. "So, uh, I'm off for the rest of the day. Do you need a ride to the store? You can't carry a bunch of groceries back here."

"You hate grocery shopping," she accused and narrowed her eyes at him. He did, so he couldn't help but smile.

"I don't mind, McNally," he told her. And he really didn't. "Come on," he said, walking toward his truck without waiting for a response. He knew she'd follow.

"You know, I can't depend on you to drive me around forever," she said as she got into his truck. He tried not to look like she'd just kicked him in the throat, but wasn't so sure he succeeded. "I need to get my own car, you know? You and Traci have always driven me around. I have a parking space, I may as well get a car to fill it."

"May as well," he shrugged. He started the truck and drove toward the grocery store. When they stopped at a red light, he looked at her and noticed the cut on her head again. "How is your head, by the way?"

He'd clearly caught her off guard and she ran a finger over the cut and looked at him. "It doesn't hurt anymore. I didn't even need stitches, Sam. The paramedics just put a bandage on it and sent me off."

"Were you scared?" He asked. He wasn't sure _why_he asked, but he wanted to know. He wanted to make sure that she wasn't scared while he was sitting alone at home doing nothing.

"No," she said with a simple shake of her head. "Once we talked to Luke and we knew that it was almost over, I was on autopilot. I just went through the motions until it all ended and Nick and I were back at the station. When Morales pushed me and I got this cut, I barely felt it at all."

"For someone who was on autopilot, I heard you did amazing," he said seriously and she just shrugged.

"I just did what I had to do," she said, rolling her eyes. He was sure she'd heard similar things from everyone over the past few days. He remembered that, too. "You know better than anyone that it was all part of the job."

"Yeah, but I've done it a lot of times now," he reminded her. "This was your first. But we don't have to talk about it."

"It's over now," she agreed before correcting herself. "The trial is in a couple of weeks, and I then I guess it will be over."

Sam pulled into the grocery store parking lot and parked close to one of the entrances. He and Andy walked in together and she grabbed a shopping cart. They didn't say anything as they walked through the store. He kept his eyes on the shelves, but he could feel her as she kept looking over at him.

"Why are you here, Sam?" She asked him again while they stood waiting for the deli guy to call her number. He looked at her, waiting for an explanation. He just gave her a ride. "Come on, you have to admit this is kind of weird. You and me... grocery shopping."

"I just gave you a ride, McNally," he told her and she shook her head. He smiled at her and watched her frustration grow. "I'm making up for being a jerk."

"I forgave you for being a jerk. You shouldn't be here. We're not-"

"Together," he interrupted her. For some reason, he could say it, but he did not want to hear her remind him again. "I know. I'm just helping you out. That's all this is."

"Okay," she said and he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "If you say so."

Sam nodded and watched her as she went to order her meat. He let out a sigh and looked down at the cart. He probably shouldn't have brought her here. He should have just let her take a cab back from the store. He should have apologized and gone home. He shouldn't have put them both through whatever it was they were going through. But, at the same time, he had not been ready to leave her.

He looked up at her when she threw the food into the cart. "I'm done," she said.

"Great," he shrugged before pushing her cart toward the front of the store.

"Again," she said from behind him and he looked back at her for a second. "You don't need to do this."

"I know that," he told her and then looked at her again to smile. He didn't turn back until she smiled back at him.

When he got to an empty cash register, he moved aside to let her pay for the groceries. They left the store together and put all of the bags into the back of his truck together. He thought about it for a second before he tossed her the keys to his truck and walked to put the cart into the corral. He smiled, almost laughed, when he noticed the look of shock on her face.

"Come on. If you're going to get your own car, you're going to have to get in the habit of actually driving," he told her. She smiled, a real Andy McNally smile, and skipped to the driver's side of the truck.

They climbed in together and he watched her as she settled in and then eventually as she drove back to her place. He wanted to take her hand off of the radio dial and place it gently back on the steering wheel, but he stopped himself and continued watching her and the road. If she knew he was staring, she wasn't letting on.

Andy handed him his keys after she parked and they started to unpack the bed of his truck. He had the bulk of the groceries, but held the front door open for her to go ahead of him. Once they were in her condo, he tossed his keys on her coffee table. He stopped in the kitchen and unpacked all of the bags and she put all of the groceries into their designated spots. He could have done that, too, but he didn't want to over step any boundaries.

When they were finished with the groceries, Andy leaned against her sink and he let out a deep breath from the stool where he sat. He could feel things starting to get awkward. It was time for him to leave. He'd done his duty.

"We can't be friends, Sam," she said suddenly, and he looked at her. He wasn't going anywhere now. He kept his face as neutral as possible until a tear rolled down her cheek and all of his defenses dropped.

"I don't want to be your friend, Andy," he told her and nodded. He stood up and walked around the counter so he was standing in front of her. He put a hand on each of her cheeks and watched her as she closed her eyes and let out a deep, shaky breath. She opened her eyes, but she wasn't looking at him, so he tilted her head so she would be. They both smiled, but she still looked unsure.

"What do you want, Sam?" She asked and then he put her hand on his chest and he let out his own shaky breath. He brushed some hair out of her face and put it behind her ear and kissed her softly on the forehead. He lingered for a second, letting it all settle.

"The same thing I've wanted since the night of the blackout- since even before that," he told her and she smiled again. That was all he needed before continuing. "I just want you, Andy. And I'm sorry that I ever screwed it up."

She barely said his name before attacking him with a kiss. It wasn't the kind of attack he was about to fight off, though. He moved his hands from her face and ran them down the sides of her body until he was able to hitch her legs around his waist. She tightened them as he turned them around so he could set her down on the counter. He felt like a teenager as their hands roamed over each other's bodies.

She pulled his shirt off and her hands traveled slowly down his chest until he finally pulled her shirt over her head. They kissed again, just as passionately as before and he pulled her closer to his body. He was about to lift her up again to move them into the bedroom, but he heard his phone start to ring in his back pocket. He didn't lift her off of the counter, but he also didn't answer his phone. He was perfectly happy holding Andy against him and ignoring the phone. It stopped and he smiled a little until it started to ring and Andy pulled away.

"No," Sam said and she smiled before reaching around him to pull it out. "No, Andy," he said. He knew he was begging, but he wasn't ready for that kiss to end. She looked down at the phone and he watched her face fall.

"You have to, Sam," she told him. "It's Frank."

He sighed, annoyed, and took the phone from her. He was supposed to have the day off. "Hey, Boss," he said, still out of breath. He rested his forehead against Andy's.

"Sam, we've got a case," Frank told him and he closed his eyes in frustration. He felt Andy run her hand softly against his cheek and he leaned into it. "Nash is on her way to the scene. I'll text you the address."

"Yeah," he said, opening his eyes. "I'll be there."

He didn't wait for Frank to say anything else before he hung up. "You've got to go," Andy said and he nodded sadly.

"I'm sorry," he said and she smiled. "Nash needs my help."

"It's fine," she assured him and he kissed her softly before letting go of her and backing away. He leaned over to pick up their shirts and handed hers over. As he pulled on his own shirt, he looked at her perfect body perched on the counter.

"I'll come over tonight," he said. He didn't want whatever happened to be the end of it. He wasn't finished with her. He'd never be finished with her.

"I've got that appointment with the shrink in the morning," she sighed and she pulled her own shirt on. He nodded and took a step back to lean against the sink. "I know where this was heading and I need to be on top of my game. If you come over neither of us will get much sleep," she laughed.

"That's... probably true," he laughed. "I'll call you when I get off shift tomorrow," he promised and she nodded.

"You better," she smiled, sliding off of the counter to stand in front of him. "Go, Sam. I'll talk to you then."

He could have left. Andy told him to. Frank and Nash were expecting him at a crime scene. But he couldn't do it just yet. Instead, he kissed her slowly. When he pulled back he cupped her face and said, "Maybe I'll come over tomorrow, cook dinner."

She nodded and he kissed her on the forehead. He grabbed his keys off of the coffee table and left with a smile. Before she left, he promised her that he would do anything for her to forgive him, including cooking dinner. He'd finally be able to do it for her now that she was back.


	4. Dinner Date

**AN: I'm glad you're all liking the story from Sam's point of view. I really like writing it! Please let me know what you think of this chapter, guys! Your reviews are much appreciated!**

Sam was really glad that Andy had shot down his offer to go over when he was done with work. He still would have gone, but he would have really regretted it the next morning. He and Nash worked late into the night, went home for a few hours of sleep, and then got right back into it the next morning. They weren't homicide detectives, but Callaghan hadn't come back to work yet. He was still focused on closing Andy and Nick's undercover case. So, Sam and Traci had to work the case and it was a big one.

When he walked into the office the next morning, it was empty and the lights were off. He flipped the lights on and walked to his desk to look over the file he'd left there before going home the night before. The victim was a man in his mid-twenties, the son of a local politician. They had a bunch of people breathing down their necks already, and the case hadn't even been active for 24 hours.

"Frank!" Sam called out as Frank walked by the office toward his own. He watched as he turned around and walked into the office.

"What's up, Sam?" Frank asked. Since it was a high profile case, Frank had been up working on it, too. Sam could see the exhaustion in his eyes. He was sure it didn't help having an eight month old baby at home either.

"Can I get one of the rooks to help today? I want to get this case closed as soon as we can," he told him and Frank nodded.

"I'll give you Peck," Frank told him. "I'll be helping you out on this case, too. We can't drop the ball on this one."

"Yes, sir."

Frank nodded and left Sam alone. Not for long, though, Traci walked in with a coffee in each hand. "I stopped on the way in," she said, putting one down on his desk. "I knew we'd need it today."

"Peck and Frank are going to be working with us today," he said and she smiled, understanding. "We're definitely going to need it."

They moved to the back of the room and sat together at the table there. They went over their notes and watched as all the uniforms went to parade. He knew it wouldn't be a long one, Frank was going to give them their assignments and then send them on their way. He knew that Oliver and whoever his partner was for the day was helping on case, too, but they had to follow their own leads. He had Nash, Peck, and Frank.

"Let's do this," Frank announced when he and Gail stepped into the office. Sam looked up at him and nodded. "What do you have for us?"

Sam and Traci went over the whole case, from beginning to where they stood, so that Gail knew what she was working on. "Officers Shaw and..."

"Diaz," Frank told him and Sam nodded.

"Officers Shaw and Diaz are talking to everyone that went to college with this kid. We don't have any suspects yet, but we should be hearing back from the lab any minute on a set of partial prints we found last night," Sam said.

"And hopefully that leads us directly to the killer," Traci shrugged. "This case is a big deal. And if those prints don't lead us to the killer, we need the information Oliver and Chris are getting."

"I'd like to get this case closed today," Frank said and Sam saw Gail's eyes widen. With no suspects, he understood her lack of faith.

"We'll do our best, Boss. I think we can get it done," Sam shrugged and Gail's widened eyes shifted from Frank to him. "Peck, you okay?"

"I'm fine, Detective," she said with a knowing smirk and he nodded slowly. Just then, the phone on Traci's desk rang.

She didn't say anything as she went to pick it up. "Did you have a nice afternoon off yesterday?" Gail asked him and he shrugged. "You just seem like you're in a mighty good mood."

"Peck," Frank said and she looked at him innocently. "Get off the man's back."

She nodded and held back a smile. Traci came back and noticed the tension among the three of them. "Uh, we have a name for those prints," she said, handing it to Sam. "They're sending the results to all of us now."

"I'll run it, you three get ready to go," Frank told them and they all nodded.

* * *

"Nice job, Peck," Sam said at the end of the day. "And you doubted me."

"Thanks," she said. "I'm glad we got him."

"Wouldn't have been able to do it without you, Gail," Traci said and they shared a smile.

"All right," Sam said, checking his watch. "Peck, go home. Nash and I are right behind you."

"See you tomorrow," she sang as she left the office.

"I can't believe we closed this case all ready," Traci said, sitting down at her computer.

"If we didn't, we'd have a lot of angry people to deal with," he said, sitting down. Traci nodded and rolled her eyes. "We did good, though."

"Who needs Callaghan?" She asked and he laughed. He did not.

He looked over a few notes and shut his computer off. "Goodnight, Nash," he said and she smiled. "I'll see you in the morning, right? We have that witness coming in?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "She's on a tight schedule, but she wants to testify."

"Great," he said and then walked out of the office.

He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed Andy's number. "Hey," she said when she answered.

"Hey," he said, smiling. He got into his truck and sat back. "I'm just getting into my truck now. I need to stop at the store, but I should be at your place in about thirty minutes."

"Great," she said and he smiled again before hanging up. He drove to the store for the second time in as many days and picked up everything he would need. He'd never been so quick while buying groceries in his life, but he needed to see her.

He walked through her parking lot and her building quickly, but got suddenly nervous after he knocked. He wasn't so sure why he was nervous, but he didn't know where the night would lead them. He didn't know if they'd end up back together, in bed, or fighting again. He wanted to take a page out of her book, though. So, he was going to stay optimistic.

"Hey," she said and he smiled down at her. She moved to the side and he walked past her into the kitchen.

"All right," he said as he started unpacking his bag and she sat across from him on one of her stools. "This shouldn't take long. I'm just going to cook up some steak and bake some potatoes."

"Sounds perfect," she smiled and he smiled back. He was still nervous, but he could sense she was too. "I'm starving. I haven't eaten since I got out of my appointment."

"How did that go?" Sam asked. He'd wanted to know since that morning, but he did not want it to be the first thing out of his mouth.

"I'll be back on Monday," she told him and he smiled proudly at her.

"I knew you would," he told her as he began preparing the steaks. He watched as she got out of her seat and joined him in the kitchen with tinfoil. "McNally, _I'm_ cooking."

"Sam, I'm just covering some potatoes and starting the oven," she told him and he smiled when she nudged his side with her elbow. When she was finished moving around him, she sat down on her stool again and told him, "Nick and I went to look at cars today."

He'd noticed, even before they left, that Andy and Nick were getting closer. He wasn't worried because he'd seen him and Gail, but Sam was the clear choice for car shopping. At least in his own head. "You went with Collins?" He asked as he stopped working and rested against the counter.

"We went to breakfast after our appointments and I asked for his help," she explained quickly.

"I know my way around a car, McNally," he told her with a humorless laugh. "I could have helped you, you know."

"I know, Sam," she sighed. "I wanted to get it done today. He was free and I kind of liked that he knows less about cars than I do. I did the research after you left yesterday and I went to the dealership knowing what I wanted."

He knew that he couldn't be mad or even upset about her shopping with Nick, so he wouldn't be. "Okay," he nodded, getting back to work. "What did you end up with, then?"

"I'm waiting to hear back from the bank on a loan, but I'm not worried," she said and he nodded. He was waiting for her to continue, to actually answer his question. "I'm putting down almost half of what the car costs up front in cash. Going undercover actually pays pretty well. But, you know that."

"What kind of car, McNally?" He asked with a laugh. She had to physically shake out of her tangent and he smiled at the sight.

"Oh, right. A brand new Honda Civic, black on black with leather interior."

"Fancy. How did it drive?"

"So smooth," she said wistfully. "How was work?" She asked him softly.

"It was long. I wanted to see you," he said just as softly and she tilted her head to the side to look up at him.

"I heard you were in a pretty good mood today," she teased and he laughed as he turned to put some food in the oven. "Apparently, that hasn't been the case the past few months."

Sam wasn't an idiot. He knew how people talked. He knew that people, her friends, would tell her how he was a hard ass while she was gone. He turned back to face her and leaned his elbows against the counter to be eye level. "No," he said, shaking his head slowly. "That has _not_been the case the past six months or so."

He was surprised when she leaned over and kissed him, but he held her lips against his when she attempted to pull away. When he finally let her go and he backed away, she smiled at him.

"I'm glad you're in a better mood," she told him and he could feel his face soften at her words. She had to know that it was her doing. He'd still be a miserable as if she was gone or if she and him weren't speaking.

"Yeah. I am too."

"This should feel weird," she laughed nervously, gesturing between the two of them. "I just really missed you so much."

"I missed you," he said without thinking. "We're here now. Together."

She smiled at him and rested her chin on her fist. He kissed her on the cheek before grabbing the steaks. He started the stove and started to cook.

Andy was right; things should feel weird or awkward. But he felt right at home. He always had at her place. He always had with her. Things were never perfect between them; they had problems. It was obvious to anyone who watched their relationship from day one. He knew now, though, that it wouldn't be that way again. They had both hurt so badly, that neither could go back to how things used to be.

He smiled at her when she ran her hand down his arm as she got out dishes and drinks. "You know," she said when she sat down and he turned to look at her quickly to show he was listening. "I'm really not prepared to go into work on Monday and not see you in a squad car... or not in a uniform. I can't even picture you behind a desk."

He laughed and nodded. "You'll get used to it. I did. And I like it."

"Well, that's good," she said right before her phone start to ring. "I should get this. I'll be right back," she told him and he nodded.

"These will probably be done," he said and she smiled before running to her room for privacy.

Sam did like being a detective. Three months ago, the change was huge and he doubted his decision over and over. But he did get used to it. He really didn't miss the uniform. And being partnered up with Nash made him feel closer to Jerry. He'd never tell anyone that, but it was true.

He could hear Andy laughing behind the closed door and he smiled to himself. He put their food onto their plates and sat down in the stool she had not been in before.

He heard her door open and turned to look at her. "Who was that?" He asked.

"Traci," she answered, running her hand across his back as she sat down next to him. "She just wanted to get me out of the house, probably figured I was going crazy."

Sam nodded and they began to eat. While they ate, he let her question him on what he and Traci had worked on ever the three months that they'd been working together. He kind of wanted to inquire about her past six months, but he knew she didn't want to talk about it anymore than they already had. He knew exactly what it was like to come back from that life. He didn't miss it like he thought he would. He did ask her what it was like to live with Nick and he listened as she told him about their down time. He was happy to hear that she had someone there with her that she could trust.

"How did you do it so long by yourself?" Andy asked and he shrugged.

"I've always been a loner," he laughed and took a sip of his beer. "It got boring, but it was doable."

"I am _not_ a loner," she laughed. "I wouldn't have been able to do what you did."

"You would have done fine, McNally," Sam said and she shook her head and finished her beer.

"Do you ever wish that we didn't get together that night you were with Brennan?" She asked him and he furrowed his brow. He didn't know where that question came from and he wasn't sure he understood what she meant. "Do you wish we had started whatever this is under normal circumstances?" She clarified.

"I mean," he thought about it for a second. "I wish I didn't get the shit kicked out of me," he said and they both laughed. "I just, I don't know, I can't picture it starting any other way."

He had thought about it. But no matter what he thought, it always began that night at the Alpine Inn.

"What if I was never with Luke? We could have really started the night of the blackout."

"It wouldn't have worked," he said simply. He wished it could have been that easy. He drank the rest of his beer and watched her turn that idea over in her head. "You and Callaghan needed to happen for us to be together."

"Why?"

"I didn't realize how much I wanted you until I knew I couldn't have you," he said and he watched her face fall. He put his hand on her thigh and squeezed. "It's stupid and childish, but it's true. And just because it sounds like it was the thrill of the chase, that's not what it was."

"Are you sure? Because I felt like you wanted me _more_when I was with Luke," she said and he closed his eyes for a second. "And we got together and it was amazing, but then you got abducted and we got suspended and I left. When I came back, I expected things to be just as amazing. And they were for me. You didn't seem as into it..."

"I was into it," he said with a laugh. "Why do you think we spent every night together?"

"Sex," she laughed nervously, looking down at her knees.

"Come on, McNally," he said, holding her face between his hands, tilting her head up to look at him. "You know it was more than that."

He watched the range of emotions on her face as she looked down and back at him again. He smiled and she mirrored his expression before kissing him. He let go of her face and put his arms around her to pull her closer until she slid off her stool and stood between his legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and then pulled him to stand by the collar of his shirt.

He ignored the rest of his dinner and picked her up until her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her into her bedroom without paying any attention. Instinct kicked in again. His body just knew its way around her condo. Once he walked into the room, he kicked the bedroom door shut behind them and smiled into her kiss.


	5. How to Start

**Sorry this took so long to get up. I'm on vacation and I meant to get it up before I left. Whoops. Thanks again for all the reviews. You're the best! Let me know what you think of this chapter!**

Sam heard Andy's satisfied sigh as she moved to rest on his chest. "You know, that doesn't exactly prove your point," she said and he laughed before kissing her.

"You started it," he accused. "_You_kissed _me_!" She laughed and ran her hand through his hair and down his neck until it rested on his shoulder.

He watched her until she smiled shyly and he ran his hands all over her back. At one point he felt her shiver against his chest and he kissed the top of her head. He didn't want to rush the moment they were in. It had been so long since they were together and comfortable. He didn't want to break the spell they were under.

"This doesn't fix everything," she said suddenly and the spell broke. He nodded, knowing she was right. He let his hand steady on the small of her back, not sure where the conversation was heading. He could be thrown out of her bed at any moment.

"Will anything?" He asked and she shrugged.

"I want it to," she told him. "But you left me _crying_in the cold, Sam. And I left you sitting in a bar. How can we trust each other?"

Again, he knew she was right. But he didn't want her to be right. He wanted her to trust him like he did her. He wanted her to let him in. He ran his hand over the cut on her forehead and pushed the hair out of her face. He ran his hand down her neck and arm until it reached hers and he brought it to his mouth to kiss her fingertips. She rested her forehead on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head again.

"I trust you, Andy," he whispered into her hair. He rested their hands against his chest while she nodded. "I want more than anything for you to trust me."

She finally looked at him again and took her hand from his. She rested it gently against his cheek and said, "We're working on it."

She smiled and he pulled her closer so he could kiss her. She held onto his face and he pulled her to rest on top of him and wrapped his arm around her middle.

Sam was terrified that she couldn't trust him and he would understand her. He would hate it, but he would get it. He did leave her crying in the cold and rain. She had told him that she was in love with him and he promised her that she wouldn't get rid of him without a fight. He didn't even try to fight, he just got into his truck and left. And when he told her he loved her, it was too late.

He just wanted to continue living in the moment they were in. He wanted to stay with her in bed forever. He wanted her to tell him she loved him again so he could say it back. He knew the moment they met that she was going to change his life. Then he thought it was for the worse, but he was very wrong. They'd had their ups and downs, but he wanted to listen to Noelle and go forward. With Andy.

* * *

When he heard a phone ringing the next morning, Sam groaned and put his pillow over his head. He was still not ready to get up and out of Andy's bed. He also felt a deep chill as Andy stole the comforter and snuck out of her room to answer the annoyingly loud phone. He kind of smiled to himself from underneath his pillow. How many mornings had he and Andy woken up in similar situations?

Things would get better between them. He was sure of it. After their talk of trust the night before, they'd spent some time just being together in silence. And he didn't mind the silence, but Andy being Andy, had to talk about something. And he didn't mind that either. Not at all.

As he heard her talking to someone outside of her bedroom, though, he wished they hadn't talked as much. He was exhausted and he knew he eventually had to go to work.

He heard her open and close the door and felt her sit on her knees near his head. Andy ran a finger down his back and then took the pillow from his head.

"No," he whined, turning away from her and she laughed.

"You're a child," she said and he turned back to look at her, scowling. "You're also very late for work."

"Damn it," he groaned, sitting up. He knew he would eventually have to get to work. He did not know eventually was half an hour ago. He looked on his side of the bed for his boxers while Andy looked on the other side of the room. He saw them come over his shoulder and land on his feet. "Thanks," he said, pulling them on as he stood.

He continued looking around her room for different articles of his clothing. She sat in the middle of her bed, watching him. He wanted to rewind an hour and get back there with her. By the time he had found all of his clothes, he had gone around the entire bedroom.

"You have a hell of an arm on you, McNally," he said, pulling on his shirt. She moved to where he was standing and kneeled in front of him, letting the comforter fall from her shoulders as she put her arms around his neck. He bit his lip and sighed. "That's really sweet of you. Thank you for sending me off to work after seeing you naked. It's going to make my day go by a whole lot faster," he laughed. He put his arms around her waist and rested his hands at the center of her back.

She laughed and kissed him. He kissed her back, pulling her closer until her entire body was flush against his. It was a slow, amazing kiss that ended much too soon when Andy pulled away. She put her hands on his neck so that her thumbs rested on his cheeks and tilted her head with a smile. "You gotta go," she told him and he closed his eyes in frustration. "Traci's pissed," she laughed and he nodded, opening his eyes. "You must have left your phone in the kitchen."

"Must've," he agreed, rolling his eyes. Why was he such an idiot? He squeezed her and kissed her again before letting her go. She let her arms fall to her side and he sighed. He took his time, looking her up and down before throwing his head back and slowly turning out of her bedroom. "I'll see you tonight," he called as he took his phone from the kitchen counter.

"Have a good day," she yelled back and he hesitated before leaving and letting the door shut behind him.

As he walked down to his truck, he saw the three missed phone calls from his partner along with a frantic text message. He decided not to call her back, he'd just get in his truck and get to the station.

* * *

Since he was late, he let Nash go meet her friends at the Penny while he finished up all of the paperwork for their case. It took him much longer than he would have liked it to. He just wanted to get to the bar to see his own friends... And Andy.

As he walked into the Penny, he didn't have to look anywhere but where he knew she would be. And he watched her turn to him and he nodded and smiled. She did the same and he looked down as he finished his walk toward Oliver.

"Hey, Brother," he said as Sam sat down.

"Hey," he said as the bartender stood in front of him. "Scotch, please."

The bartender nodded and turned toward the alcohol. "Long day?" Oliver asked with a chuckle and Sam nodded. "What about yesterday? I didn't even see you after you finished up the case."

"I was in a rush," he shrugged as he took a hold of his drink. Oliver was watching him, drinking his beer and Sam turned to him. "What are you looking at?"

"What did you have to _rush_off to?"

"I had plans."

"With who?" Noelle asked from the seat beside him. He didn't even know she had joined them. He tried to hide a smile, but they both knew what he was going to say.

He turned back to look at her and she smiled at him for a quick second before she turned back to Traci.

"Whoa," Oliver said, clapping him happily on the back. "It's about time."

"She's been back for four days," Sam laughed and Oliver shrugged. He couldn't help but turn back again and they smiled at each other. "It's good, though," he said quietly when he turned back to his own friends.

"Good," Noelle said and Sam nodded to himself.

He saw her stand up and walk to the bar and he took a long sip of his scotch. "I'll be right back," he told Oliver and Noelle. They nodded and Noelle took his seat while he walked toward Andy.

When he reached her, he stood behind her and put his hands on her hips. She smiled up at him and leaned her back against his torso. He smiled and rested his hands against the bar so she was trapped between his arms. She turned toward him and rested her back against the bar.

"Hi," she said, running her hand down his chest. "How are you?"

"Good," he nodded slowly and she laughed. "What?"

"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. He wanted to kiss her so badly then, but he saw the bartender coming toward them with her pitcher of beer. He reached into his own pocket and threw down a couple of bills to cover it. "Thank you. You didn't need to do that."

Sam just shrugged and smiled. He didn't want to, but he pulled his arms back freeing her. She stood tall and kissed him on the cheek before leaving him at the bar. He turned and watched her with a smile walking away until she turned around and laughed.

He walked back over to his friends and sat down where Noelle had been before. "That was interesting," Oliver said, leaning closer to him.

"A little public display," Noelle agreed with a nod. "Bold move."

"Hardly," Sam said, taking a sip of his drink.

Oliver shook his head with a laugh and Noelle rolled her eyes. They started to talk about the baby and Sam listened on happily. "I need a babysitter next weekend," Noelle announced, looking between the two men. "Who wants to do it?" She asked, staring a little too long at Sam.

"You've got to be kidding me," he scoffed and she smiled before turning toward Oliver.

"How about Izzie?" He asked and Noelle beamed.

"Perfect," she said and then looked at her watch. "I've got to go. I'll see you boys later. Tell Izzie I'll call her next week."

"Will do," Oliver called and Noelle left them alone. Sam moved over to sit next to Oliver and caught sight of Luke.

"How long has Callaghan been seeing her?" He asked nodding toward the corner where they were huddled together.

"I don't know," Oliver shrugged, looking at them for only a second. "He was barely around during Project Dakota. I've only seen them together a couple of times."

"Yeah," Sam nodded. He didn't really care, but he was actually kind of happy that Luke had a girlfriend. He knew that Andy didn't have any feelings for him, but that history was always there. And it was good to know that Luke had moved on.

He realized that he and Luke would be working together a lot once he came back to 15 full time. They had always butted heads, even before Andy came between them. They were sort of friends before, but they were two very different people. Once things got weird between them, it wasn't a huge loss to either of them. They had never really worked together, but that would change come Monday. Right then, he made a conscious decision to do his best and get along with him. It wouldn't be fair to Nash if she had to put up with them arguing and disagreeing all of the time. It would be easier on them, too, if they worked well together.

"Can you give me an excuse to tell my wife so I don't have to go visit her parents tomorrow?" Oliver asked suddenly, looking into his beer bottle and Sam laughed.

"Sorry, Buddy," he told him. "I told you that I'm not getting involved in your marriage ever again. I don't want a roommate."

"Very funny," Oliver said, rolling his eyes. "Don't make me go, Sammy."

"Not up to me," he laughed.

"Hey, McNally," Oliver said, smiling suddenly. Sam turned to look at the seat next to him and he smiled.

"Hi," she smiled and Sam slid his hand to her thigh. "How have you been?"

"Good," Oliver nodded. "I'll be better when you come back to work on Monday. What about you?"

Sam smiled down at his beer, happy that his best friend and the woman he loved got along.

"Same," she laughed. "It can't come soon enough."

"I hated when they made me take time off," Oliver told her, shaking his head and Andy nodded.

"You got shot, Brother," Sam laughed. "You needed to take that time off."

"I hate time off," Andy said. Sam looked at her and squeezed her thigh. He knew how restless she got and how badly she wanted to be back at work. Andy held onto his hand and smiled at him.

"Well," Oliver said, clearing his throat and standing up. "I'm going home. Zoe and I are taking the girls up north to see their grandparents tomorrow."

"Have fun," Andy said and Sam nodded, knowing he would not have any fun.

"I'll see you two on Monday," Oliver said, pulling on his coat. He slapped Sam on the back and smiled before leaving.

They watched him leave and Sam turned to Andy. "Let me take you home," he said, standing up. She stood with him and he smiled, remembering the first time he'd asked to take her home. And she had said no then. She smiled and he took her hand. "McNally."

Andy laughed and rested her forehead on his chest for just a second. "Okay," she said when she pulled back. She squeezed his hand and he kissed her slowly.

When they pulled apart, they put on their coats and he put his hand on the small of her back. He led her out of the bar, past Luke and his girlfriend. He noticed them wave to each other and he nodded at Luke. Sam could see the confusion in his eyes, but was happy he nodded back.

They got to his truck and he opened the door for her before getting into the driver's side. They drove the short distance in silence. Andy spent the ride leaning her head against her window and smiling at Sam who smiled over at her at the only red light. He put his hand on her thigh for the rest of the ride.

When he pulled into her parking spot, he took his hand back and turned the truck off. He shifted slightly to look at her and she leaned over to kiss him. "Come in," she said quietly when she pulled away from him. He kissed her and they walked in together.

* * *

When Sam woke up the next morning, Andy was asleep with her back against his chest. He dropped a quick kiss on her shoulder and sat up, stretching his arms above his head. He had to look for his boxers again and found them at the foot of the bed. He pulled them on and left her to sleep while he went to the kitchen.

He had slept remarkably well, better than he had in months. And he was happy, so happy to be waking up next to Andy. He started the coffeemaker and pulled out two mugs while it brewed. He sat on a stool and put his head in his hands until he heard the last drips.

When he walked back into the bedroom, Andy had clearly woken up, but her face was hidden by her hands. "Coffee?" He asked, sliding back into bed. Andy's hands moved from her face to her stomach and Sam could see the surprise on her face. Did she think he left? It wouldn't be the first time, he supposed. "What?" He asked, laughing only slightly.

She watched him as she sat up and took the coffee from him. "Nothing," she said, shaking her head. Sam saw the sparkle in her eye that she only got when she had a good cup of coffee. For some reason, the way she drank her coffee would always stick with him.

"I'm not going anywhere, McNally," he told her softly. He needed her to know that. He wanted her to know that he would make her coffee the right way whenever she wanted him to. Andy nodded and put her coffee mug on the table next to her.

He traded his own coffee cup for his cell phone that sat on the table next to his side of the bed. He looked through some emails that he didn't want to bother with on his Saturday off. He read a text message from his sister that he knew he should respond to, but he was distracted by Andy getting up and dressed and then getting back in bed. He read the message again, simply asking him how he was, and he smiled before putting his phone down again.

They both took sips of their coffees, but she was _staring_at him. "What is it, McNally?" he asked her, laughing. She smiled, put her coffee down, and climbed over him to straddle him. She held onto his face and kissed.

"We don't do this, Sam," she said. And she was right. They had never been the type of people to lay around in bed doing nothing. They slept and they had sex. They didn't read emails and drink coffee.

"Just because we haven't doesn't mean we can't," he told her and she shrugged. She leaned back and sat on his lap. He put his hands underneath her t-shirt to rest on her hips and he felt her shiver. "Sorry," he laughed. She'd always complained about his cold hands in the morning. She fell into his chest and hugged him. He put his arms around her and kissed her neck softly.

"I missed you," she whispered. He ran one of his hands across her back and the other ran down her hair. She had no idea.


	6. Her First Day Back

**AN: Vacation last week was amazing, but we are now back to our regularly scheduled programming. I'm going to try and put a chapter up a week, maybe more, probably not less. I'm so happy people are responding to this story. Honestly, writing Sam is SO MUCH FUN! **

**Let me know what you guys think of the chapter! I'm going to try and start replying to reviews, too. I really want you guys to know how much I appreciate the reading the love. You're awesome!**

When Sam woke up on Monday, he was in his own bed for the first time in days. He had spent the weekend with Andy, but she kicked him out Sunday night. She didn't give him much of a reason, but before he left, she kissed him more passionately than she had ever kissed him before. So, he left without another word and sat up too late.

He remembered a time, a time before Andy, that he spent a lot of his time alone. It wasn't something he minded and it was something he got used to after he had broken up with her. But, after just a few days back together, he hated the feeling of sitting home without her. And he sort of hated that he felt that way. He didn't like depending on other people and, yet, he knew a great deal of his happiness depended on _her_.

He pulled himself out of bed and took a quick shower. He told her he'd pick her up for her first shift back. He knew she was excited, so he didn't want to be late. He got dressed, threw on his leather jacket, grabbed his keys and got the hell out of the dump that was his house.

It hadn't always been a dump. He actually considered himself a fairly neat person, especially for a man. But he let it go to shit after he let his relationship with Andy go to shit. It only felt fitting. Oliver tried to make him clean before he moved back home. In fact, Oliver ended up cleaning and when he left, Sam let it get messy again. No one to impress.

He pulled into Andy's spot and looked at the clock on his dashboard. He was right on time, but Andy was nowhere to be seen. He got out of his truck, put his keys into his back pocket and leaned against the back of his truck to wait for her. He yawned and crossed his arms. He waited a few minutes longer and held in a smile when Andy finally came toward him.

"It's about time," he said. Andy just smiled and kissed him. She clearly wasn't going to let anything get to her. "How'd you sleep?" He asked and he was sure that she heard the edge in his voice. He argued for a little while before she kissed him and kicked him out.

"Great," she answered, smiling. Sam nodded and opened her door. She climbed in and he walked to the other side of the truck. "Don't be mad at me, Sam."

"I'm not mad," he laughed. He really wasn't. He had been disappointed when he left, but he had no reason to be mad.

"You didn't want to sleep in that bed last night," she told him and he shook his head as he drove toward work. "I was tossing and turning all night. You should be _thanking_me for not letting you stay."

He rolled his eyes and said, "Thank you, McNally." He looked at her for a second and she smiled, reaching her hand to rest on the base of his neck for the rest of the ride to the station.

He heard her let out a deep breath when he turned the car off and she pulled her hand back.

"Hey," Sam said, reaching for her thigh. "You're going to be great today," he told her and she smiled. It was a weak smile for Andy McNally.

"Thanks," she said, leaning over to kiss him. He let go of her and they got out of the truck and walked into the station together.

When they reached the locker rooms, Sam held onto one of her hands. "I'll see you tonight," he said and she nodded. "McNally, you're going to be fine."

"I know," she nodded. "You're still taking me to pick up my car tonight, right?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "Meet me in the office."

"Okay," she said. She kissed him on the cheek and smiled. "Thanks, Sam."

"Anytime," he smiled, letting go of her hand. "Have a good day."

"You, too," she told him and he walked to the office.

It was strange for him to be at the station with Andy and to not be suiting up, but he knew things were different. He'd made a choice and he was happy with it. When he got to the office, Traci was sitting at her desk and Luke was talking to her.

"Morning," Traci said, smiling brightly.

"Good morning," Sam said, sliding into his desk chair. "'Morning, Callaghan."

"Good morning, Sammy," Luke said, walking to his own desk.

Sam let out a small sigh as his computer booted up. "Did you give Andy a ride?" Traci asked him and he nodded. "How is she?"

"Good," he said, looking at her. "She's excited to be back."

"Good," Traci smiled before looking back at her computer. "We have to transfer the Ford murder case to Callaghan."

"Right," Sam nodded. He checked his emails and then put the case files on his desk.

"Hey, Luke," Traci called and he looked over at the two of them from across the room. "Are you ready?"

Luke looked at Sam who was waiting for an answer and nodded, pushing out his chair. The three of them sat around a table in the back of the room and started going over the case.

* * *

Toward the end of the day, Sam and Traci had gone over every single detail of the Ford case with Luke. But he was having a problem with one thing, so Sam went to his desk and explained again how the sister's fiancé was a possible suspect.

He and Luke both looked up when someone new entered the room. He watched Andy force a smile as she continued to Nash's desk. He watched her a second longer before bending down again and pointing something else out to Luke.

"This guy is the perfect suspect," Sam said, shaking his head. "We just weren't able to get any evidence on him. So, I leave it to you, Buddy."

"Thanks, Sammy," Luke laughed.

"'Night guys," Traci called as she walked past them and out of the office. Sam checked his watch and stood up. He heard Andy laugh and looked from her to Luke, who had also just checked his watch.

"McNally, I just have to grab my coat," he told her and she nodded. He walked to his desk. "'Night, Callaghan."

"Goodnight you guys," Luke said as he pulled on his coat. When he left, Andy went to Sam's desk where he was organizing a case file. She sat down on the corner and swung her legs back and forth.

"How was your day?" Sam asked, looking for the last few pages of the case in his drawers.

"It was good," she told him and he looked up to smile at her before continuing his search. "We took it easy today," she said and Sam put the papers in his top drawer and pulled on his coat.

"That's probably a good thing," he said, moving to stand between her legs. "First day back and all that."

"Yeah," she nodded, pulling on his collar to kiss him. "How was your day?"

"Good. I'm working to transfer a case over to Callaghan, so Nash and I had to go over everything with him. That's really all we did today," he told her and he noticed that he was smiling the entire time. "What?" He asked laughing.

"I like this," she shrugged. He squeezed her thighs and raised his eyebrows. He had no idea what she was talking about. "I like that we can tell each other about our day. We never got to do that before because we spent most of them together."

"Yeah," he nodded and kissed her. "Let's go," he said, taking her hand.

He pulled her closer as they walked toward his truck and put his arm around her shoulders when they reached the parking lot. It was actually nice to leave work with her again. It was the little things he missed most.

"How is it working with Luke?" Andy asked once they were in his truck.

"It's not too bad," he shrugged. "Once Nash and I finish transferring this case over to him, we won't be working together much. We're dealing with it; we're keeping you out of it."

"Okay," she nodded and he smiled at her. He pulled out of the lot and drove to the dealership to pick up her car. "You're coming over after, right?" She asked when he pulled into a spot outside of the showroom.

"I don't know," he shrugged, turning off the truck. "It depends on whether or not you plan on kicking me out today."

She looked like she was thinking about it and he rolled his eyes. "Come over," she said. He leaned over his center console and kissed her.

She smiled and got out, waiting for him to follow. They walked into the showroom and right to the salesman's desk. He was going over a bunch of different things about the loan and the car. Sam watched Andy as she got more and more excited until the keys were in her hand.

"Thank you so much," Andy said as they stood up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the car that was parked next to his truck.

"Wow," he said, sliding into the passenger seat. "This is really nice, McNally."

"Right?" She asked. "I'm so excited," she said to herself and Sam smiled. He took hold of her face and kissed her softly.

"I'll see you at your place," he said and she nodded, still smiling.

Sam followed the new car to her house and they walked into the building together. He tossed his keys onto her kitchen counter and Andy's fell beside his. "So, now that you're back at work, how are you feeling?" He asked as he sat on her couch. She sat next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his side.

"Awesome. I'm me," she laughed and he smiled.

"You've always been you, Andy," he said and she rested her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and kept hold of her.

Sam had really missed the simple parts of their relationship. He missed being with her after a long day at work. He missed holding her in his arms and having her melt into his body. It was weird; she had this way of fitting perfectly against him. No matter how they were positioned, they fit like puzzle pieces.

Andy let out deep breath and put her arm across his stomach and folded her legs on to the couch next to her. "You help make me who I am," she told him quietly and he took his own deep breath. "This is part of what was missing. You and me. I'm glad that I'm back home and I'm glad that you're here with me."

He smiled and let his lips rest against the crown of her head for a second before thinking of something. "Then why did you kick me out last night?" He asked and she laughed, gently slapping him in the chest.

"There are some things I need to do alone," she explained and he nodded. "Mentally preparing myself for my first day back at work after a very long, exhausting undercover operation is one of them. Plus, you'd been wearing the same clothes since Thursday and it was starting to get pretty gross."

They both laughed and Sam nodded. She was right. He had been in desperate need of a fresh pair of jeans and a clean shirt.

* * *

The next morning, Sam took out Andy's trash. When he got back into her house, he accidentally let the door slam behind him and he gasped at the sound. He looked toward her bedroom door and didn't hear or see anything, so he felt safe enough to go into her kitchen and start putting the dirty dishes from the sink into the dishwasher.

He turned around when he heard footsteps and smiled at Andy in the sweatshirt he'd left on the floor.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she stood in front of him. She looked down at his bare chest and raised an eyebrow before looking at the door. "Where did you just come from?"

"I just took out the trash," he shrugged, tossing the dish towel onto the counter. "And then I did the dishes."

"Sam," she said and he leaned against the sink and crossed his arms. He wasn't sure what she was going to say, but since her head was tilted he figured it'd be serious. "You don't need to do this."

"Yeah," he nodded, just as serious. "I do."

"No. You broke up with me, you didn't shoot me. We're okay now," she sighed.

"Andy, I screwed up and I promised that I'd make it up to you. Let me make it up to you," he said. He wanted to make everything up to her. He wanted her to trust him completely. He wanted things to be good- to be better than they were before.

"It feels weird, Sam," she laughed, but she was serious. "You don't need to take care of me."

"I know that," he told her and he did know that. Andy was more than capable of taking care of herself. "But I _want to,_" he said and she shook her head lightly. He took her hands in his and pulled her closer. "Andy, I love you. I want to take care of you."

He wasn't expecting throwing that particular sentiment out that early in the morning or that early in their reconciled relationship. But he did love her and she deserved to know- this time before it was too late.

Andy stood taller and kissed him hard. She put her arms around his neck and he held her around her waist. He didn't want to let go of her and was happy she seemed to feel the same way as they continued to hold each other and kiss. When she did pull away, she smiled and tried to catch her breath.

"I love you, too, Sam," she told him and he rested his forehead against hers. "And I want you to know that I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

"I'm sorry that I didn't take what you said seriously the night I left. I'm sorry that I didn't just say I would meet you at the bar," she said and stopped a second to catch her breath again. "I still would have left, Sam, but at least you would have known that I wanted to be with you that night. I'm sorry that you spent those six months not knowing how I felt."

"I still would have wondered," he said with a shrug. "You did the right thing; going on that assignment was the right thing to do for _you._"

Andy kissed him and smiled. "I'm still sorry," she laughed and he shrugged. She kissed him again, slower. "Can I drive you to work today?" She asked excitedly and he chuckled, but nodded. "Can we go back to bad? It's still early."

"Yeah," he said and then he picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She shrieked and laughed as he carried her to her room. He smiled as he rested her on the bed and hovered above her. He cradled her face in his hand and kissed her hard and slow. She pulled him to rest on top of her completely and let out a moan.


	7. Boy's Night

**AN: Here you go! Like I mentioned in an earlier Author's Night, there will be some inconsistencies. This one has some of those inconsistencies, but don't worry, nothing huge. Let me know what you think! I'll update within the week!**

"I'm just going to go for a run, take a shower, and then I'll pick you up after," Sam said to Oliver as they walked down the hall.

"Sounds good, Brother," Oliver said, stopping outside of the locker rooms. "Tell McNally I said thanks."

"Thanks for what?" Sam asked, crossing his arms. Oliver just laughed and raised his eyebrows before turning into the locker room and leaving Sam watching him.

He shook his head and continued to the office. When he walked in, Andy turned around in her seat and smiled at him.

"Hey," he greeted her, smiling back. She stood up and met him at his desk where he threw down a file. He sat down, looking up at her as she sat on his desk. He let out a sigh, put his hands on her thighs and asked, "Are you sure you don't want me to come over later tonight?"

"I'm sure," she laughed, holding onto his hands. He laughed sadly at the thought. "It's girl's night, Sam. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes and standing up. Andy pulled him to stand between her legs and he looked down at her. Sam hated girl's night. "If I were you, I'd warn them about your sleep talking before your slumber party."

She laughed and slapped him across his chest. "I don't talk in my sleep that much, do I?" She asked and he nodded with a small laugh.

"Oh, yeah, you do," Sam looked up at Callaghan walking to his desk. He sat in his chair and crossed his arms. As much as Sam wanted them to get along, he knew that was not the way to get there.

"Sorry. I just need to grab my phone before I leave," Luke told them, laughing to himself. Sam could see the pink in Andy's cheeks. She was embarrassed and uncomfortable. "The witness told me everything as soon as you left. The case is basically closed."

"Good," Andy said, nodding slowly. It took her a second to regain her composure. "Have a good night."

"You, too," he said with an easy smile.

When he was gone, Andy slid off of Sam's desk. "So, that's why we never acted like a couple when we were out in public?" She asked and he laughed, standing up.

"How was your shift?" He asked, changing the subject.

"It was good," she told him. "We got a murderer."

"It's always a good day when you catch a murderer," he smiled and she nodded. He noticed the small step she took toward him and, had they not just been interrupted, he would have kissed her.

"How was your day?" She asked, running a soft hand down his arm.

"Not too bad," he shrugged. "We were pretty busy. We're working on a drug bust. I think we'll be able to execute it by Friday."

"That's exciting," she exclaimed and he smiled. "What will you do tonight?"

"I'm going to go home now," he said and she nodded, squeezing his hand. "Oliver and I are going to the Penny tonight. Nothing fancy."

"You'll have a good time," she said, trying to convince him. He was sure she could see the longing in his eyes.

"Yeah, well, I'd have a better time if I got to see you later."

"Too bad, my friend," she said, shrugging. He laughed.

"Have a good night."

He leaned down and pecked her quickly on the lips, moving a step back before getting walked in on again. The D's office wasn't exactly the most private of rooms. Once he took that step back, she laughed, shaking her head, and kissed him longer and harder.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he smiled and she nodded.

"I'll see you in the morning," she agreed.

He smiled at her quickly as she sat down in his seat. He left her in the office, pulling on his jacket. As he got closer to the door, he heard fast footsteps and he turned back to see Frank running toward him. "Swarek!"

"What's up, Boss?" He asked when Frank reached him.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked quickly.

"Drinks at the Penny with Oliver. Why? Is there a case?" Sam asked and Frank shook his head.

"I need a night out, Sammy," Frank told him and Sam nodded with a smirk.

"I'll let you know when I head over," he told him, slapping him on the shoulder.

"Thanks," Frank smiled, walking backward toward his office.

"Did you run this past the wife?" Sam called after him.

"Not my wife, yet," Frank smiled, turning around. "But yes. I did."

Sam smiled after him and turned back toward the parking lot. He spent more time with Noelle than he did Frank, but he always liked hanging out with him. When he wasn't playing the role of Staff Sergeant, he was just one of the guys. They'd gone through the academy together, with Oliver, Noelle and Jerry. They'd been friends for a long time. It was nice to see him happy with Noelle and the baby, but he knew that Frank was under a lot of stress. He couldn't blame the guy for needing a night out.

When Sam got home, he changed quickly out of his work clothes and into his running clothes. He knew that Oliver wanted to have dinner at the Penny because Zoe was out of town for the night with her sister, so he made it a quick run and an even quicker shower.

As he got dressed, he shook his head thinking that he just wanted to end the night with Andy. They had only been back together for less than two weeks and he didn't want to rush anything. He didn't want to pressure her. But he also didn't want to sleep alone- ever again. After he told her he loved her again and she said it back, he decided that he wasn't going to mess it up again. He wasn't going anywhere without a fight.

As he went to leave, he sent Oliver and Frank a text letting them know he was on his way. As soon as he put his phone away, he heard it ringing in his back pocket and he hoped it was Andy telling him he had changed her mind. But he smiled when he saw his sister's name.

"Hey, Sarah," he said, closing his front door behind him. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm great, Sammy," she said and he cringed at her sarcasm. "Good to know you're still alive."

"I'm glad to let you know I'm still alive," he told her, jogging down his front steps toward his truck. "Alive and very busy- you know being a detective and all that," he said smugly and smiled when Sarah laughed.

"You know, you used that excuse when you were an officer," she reminded him and he nodded to himself. He leaned his elbows on the hood of his truck as she continued. "It doesn't carry as much weight as you think it does."

"I have been busy, Sarah," he told her. He wasn't willing to tell her about the other reason he'd been so busy. He never really shared his personal life with his sister and he wasn't so sure he wanted to start. "In fact, I'm on my way to meet Oliver right now."

"Oh, I see how it is," Sarah said and Sam could practically hear her eye roll over the phone. "Don't you work with him? See him every single day?"

"Not _every_day," he said lightly.

"Sammy," she warned and he sighed, nodding to himself again.

"I'll call you later in the week, Sarah," he told her. "I promise. He's waiting to get dinner. You know I can't leave him waiting."

"Fine," she said. "I love you, Sammy."

"I love you, too, Sarah," he sighed and she hung up. He got into his truck and headed toward Oliver's house.

He knew that he was a terrible brother. He never visited her and he hated talking on the phone. He knew that she just wanted him to check in occasionally and very rarely did. He didn't have any excuses, either. He just never thought of it until she called him herself.

Oliver was standing on his front lawn when Sam pulled up and he was in the truck as soon as the truck was completely stopped. "Took you long enough," Oliver complained as he buckled his seatbelt. "I'm starving."

"You're always starving," Sam said, rolling his eyes and pulling back onto the road.

"True as that may be, it doesn't change how I feel now."

"Frank's meeting us," Sam said and Oliver smiled. "Needed a night off."

"I bet he does," Oliver laughed. "I remember what it's like to have a baby at home. Don't you?"

Sam turned his head and narrowed his eyes at his passenger. Oliver nodded. "Oh, right."

Sam rolled his eyes and turned back to the road. "I've put an end to that conversation before, haven't I?" He asked and Oliver chuckled.

"What? McNally doesn't want have your brooding babies?"

"Oliver," Sam warned and he laughed again.

"I'm just joking, Buddy," he told him. "Although, it's something you two should talk about."

"Thanks," Sam said sarcastically. "Then, _she_and Iwill talk about it. Not _you_and I."

"Okay, okay," Oliver said, holding his hands up in defense. "So, did you thank her for me at least?"

"Why would I thank her for you?" Sam asked as he pulled into the Penny parking lot.

"Loosening the reigns, giving _you_ a night off to hang out with your best friend," Oliver said as if it was obvious.

"Believe me, I'd rather be with her," Sam said as they got out of the truck and he could hear Oliver's booming laugh coming toward him. "Especially after the brief conversation we've already had."

"You don't mean that," Oliver said, slapping him on the back and Sam looked down at him. "Oh my god, you _do_mean that."

"Not completely," Sam shrugged, letting Oliver off the hook.

"Every couple needs a night apart, Sammy," he said as they walked into the bar. "Look at that, the rookies are all here without their girlfriends."

"Peck is with McNally and Nash," Sam explained, looking at Nick with Dov and Chris. "It's girl's night. I guess they made a night out of it themselves."

"Good for them," Oliver said, finding Frank at the bar. "Hey, Frank."

"Ollie, Sammy," he said, sliding Sam a scotch and Oliver a beer. "What took you so long?"

"Sarah called me," Sam explained, taking a sip of his scotch. "I haven't talked to her in a while."

"How is she?" Oliver asked and Sam shrugged.

"She's fine," he said. "Pissed at me for being a dick of a brother, but fine."

"Well, can you blame her?" Frank asked and Sam smirked and shrugged.

"How's the baby?" Oliver asked Frank and Sam turned back to look at the rookies.

It was early, still dinner time, and he could see the three of them were already pretty drunk. He rolled his eyes and turned back to Frank and Oliver.

"You buying tonight, Sammy?" Oliver asked, now with three menus in front of him.

"No," Sam laughed, taking a menu. "No, Buddy. I think you're buying for making me sit through your lectures."

"What now, Oliver?" Frank asked, laughing.

* * *

When Sam woke up, he reached to the other side of the bed and let out a sigh when he remembered it would be empty. He sat up slowly, not hungover, but exhausted.

He and Oliver stayed late- later than Diaz and Epstein, later than Frank. They helped Collins into a cab when they left, but heard him give the address for a bar on the other side of the city. If Sam was tired, he had no idea how Collins would be up and walking.

As he got out of bed, he kicked a pile of clothes against the wall and found his towel on the floor. He took a shower, got dressed and left his place for Andy's. He had the day off, but she had to go in sometime later. He wanted to spend some time with her before she had to leave for work.

As he walked into Andy's building, he noticed a stray newspaper and side stepped it on the way to the stairs. He knocked on her door, rocking back and forth on his feet until he heard her yell to him to come in.

He stopped short when he saw Nick sitting on the couch and Traci curled up on one of the chairs. He finally found Andy's eyes and quirked his eyebrows. "What's going on here?" He asked, taking his jacket off and sitting down in one of the stools so he was facing them.

"Gail dumped him," Traci explained and Sam nodded. He understood now why he was out drinking even after his friends had left him.

"I found him drunk in the hallway," Andy said and he had to bite his cheek to stop a laugh.

"Gail's sleeping in Andy's room," Nick groaned and Sam looked away for a second to hide his smile.

"You'll be okay, Buddy," Sam told him and Nick just rolled his eyes.

"You will be, Nick," Andy said. "She'll make this right and you will forgive her because you love her."

Sam nodded to himself and went to get coffee in the kitchen. As he topped off his mug, he felt Andy sidle up next to him. He looked down and smiled at her.

"Good morning," she said before kissing him. "Sorry about the party in there."

"Don't worry about it, McNally," he told her, nudging his nose against hers before pulling away. "It's your house."

"I'm going to make some pancakes," she said, looking back at her friends for a second. "I'm hoping it will sober Nick up a little."

"I don't know if anything will do that," he laughed, looking back at the living room. Nick was holding his head in his hands, and a much more sober Traci was rubbing her temples. "I'll make the pancakes. You can go make sure they're okay."

"Thank you," she smiled and then kissed him again.

As Andy went to tend to her drunk and hungover friends, Sam went about making them all breakfast. He found his way easily through her cabinets and refrigerator and smiled at the realization. He probably knew his way around her house better than his own.

"Nick, what did you do with my paper?" Andy asked as she closed her front door and Sam turned to look at Nick.

"I threw it down the stairs," he told her, hanging his head sadly. "When I realized the door was locked, I got frustrated."

Sam couldn't help the laugh that came out of his mouth. Andy glared at him and he turned back toward the stove.

"Okay. It's fine. Don't worry about it. You just need to sober up. Your pancakes will be ready in a few minutes."

"Oh, yes," Traci said. "That's exactly what I need right now."

She sat down behind Sam a whole minute before Nick was able to push himself up and join her. He plated their food and slid the plates across to them. "Best partner ever," Traci said before digging right in.

Sam laughed and got his and Andy's plates, taking them to the living room. He handed Andy hers and sat down on the couch. "These are so good, Sam. Thank you."

"No problem," he shrugged, smiling at her. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "What time are you working?" He asked.

"Me, Nick, and Gail are all working the afternoon shift," she told him, swallowing a bite. "We're going in at 2. Hopefully, they'll make it there alive."

"Collins will be okay," he said, looking back at him. He wasn't 100% sure that was true, but he knew that Collins would at least pretend to be. "I don't know how bad Peck is, though."

"She'll be monumentally hungover," Andy laughed. He smiled and nodded. He knew the feeling. "Do you want me to come over after work?" She asked and Sam looked anywhere but at her. He was embarrassed at the mess his house had become.

"Um," he stuttered and from the corner of his eye, he saw Andy's face fall.

"I don't have to," she said quickly. He could hear the doubt in her voice and he wanted to erase it. "I'll just see you at work tomorrow. It's fine."

"My place is a mess," he admitted, looking at her again. "It hasn't really been cleaned since Oliver moved back home."

"Ew," she said, scrunching her nose in disgust. He couldn't blame her, really. He was pretty disgusted too. "Why not? Your place is always clean."

He bit his lip, watching her closely. "After we broke up, I decided I needed a change," he told her and she nodded slowly. "The only thing that changed really was the fact that I stopped cleaning my house. Oliver took care of it, but when he left I just let it stay."

"That's disgusting," she said with a laugh. "Now that we're back together, are you going to change back to a man that actually takes care of his home?"

"Well, yeah, eventually," he shrugged and she nodded. "I've been a little busy. Here, mostly," he reminded her and her lips curled into a smile.

"Okay," she nodded slowly. "Well, you can meet me here after work if you want. And I'll help you clean your place this weekend?"

"Okay," he said, leaning into her. She held onto his face and kissed him.

"Oh my god."

Sam and the rest of the room turned toward Andy's room where Gail was standing in the doorway with her eyes closed and her hand on her stomach. "Oh my god," she said again before running to the bathroom.

"Gail?" Nick called, standing up to follow her. She slammed the door in his face and Sam raised his eyebrows when he heard her throwing up.


	8. The Morning After

**AN: Thank you guys so much for all the reviews. I'm really happy you're liking the story. Please keep letting me know what you think. This isn't one of my favorite chapters in either stories, but it leads to some of the best. **

"Gail?" Nick asked, leaning his head against the bathroom door.

"Nick, go away," she yelled before throwing up again. He nodded to himself and walked into the living room.

Sam excused himself silently, taking his and Andy's plates to the kitchen and Nick took his spot on the couch. "She doesn't sound like she wants to fix this," Nick said sadly to Andy.

"She just doesn't want you to hear her throwing up, Nick."

Sam expected that to be true. Andy was the same way. No matter if she was hung over or just sick, she hated Sam to hear her throw up.

"I'll go check on her," Traci said. She walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. They could all hear them talking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. Sam filled a glass with water and handed it to Nick on his way to the chair. Andy caught his eye and smiled.

"I almost expected her to say no when I asked her to move in," Nick said, downing most of his water. "But I never expected her to break up with me. We've been really good since I got back. I mean, we had that huge fight that first night, but since then..."

Sam watched him hold his head in his hands. He could practically see him sobering up. He never particularly liked Collins, but he could feel for him.

"I think she's still mad at me for leaving," he said. Sam slunk back in his chair, looking straight ahead. He wasn't mad at Andy for leaving, but he still wished she never had. "All I can do is apologize and I've done that. But I still stand behind going."

"You should," Andy said confidently. Sam turned to her, showing no emotion on his face. "I understand if she's mad at you, but she needs to forgive you. You're here now and you love her. You did your job and you did it well, and now you're able to be here and be with her. You _want_to be here and be with her."

When she looked at Sam, he continued watching her. They held eye contact until they heard the bathroom door open again. Traci and Gail walked toward them and Sam and Andy got up and went to the kitchen, Traci following behind. Sam leaned against the sink and watched Gail sit down next to Nick, talking quietly.

"She'll be fine," Traci told them and they nodded. "They both will."

"What did she say to you in there?" Andy asked. She and Traci were sitting with their backs to the living room, across from Sam.

"She just wasn't expecting him to be here," Traci shrugged. "I think after we talked about it last night, she was planning on apologizing anyway. I'm sure that's what they're talking about. I don't know if they'll be living together anytime soon, but she's an idiot not to."

Sam continued watching the scene unfold in the living room. They were both talking quietly now. He and Gail never talked about it after Nick and Andy left, but he knew she didn't take it very well. He knew how she felt to be left with no explanation. But, as far as he knew, she and Collins were actually together when he left for Project Dakota. She probably had more reason to be upset.

"Sam?" Andy said and he looked at her. She nodded toward her room and he nodded, walking past her toward the bedroom.

He sat down at the foot of her bed, waiting. She closed the door and sat down next to him, shoulder to shoulder.

"Do we need to talk about this?" She asked quietly and he shrugged. "Sam."

"I'm not mad that you left," he told her honestly.

"Well, you're mad about something," she accused and he let out a deep breath. "And you were fine until Nick brought up our leaving. Whatever it is, I don't want it to come between us. So, please, tell me what's wrong."

"I'm not mad that you left," he said, shaking his head. He looked at her and she took a deep breath, urging him to continue. "I'm not really mad at all. I just wish you could have done your job and stayed here. I wish we could have had those six months to fix what was wrong."

"I know," she nodded, reaching for his hand. "But we're fixing it now. I know that it would be fixed now if I hadn't gone, but I went. And you said yourself that it was the right thing to do. And I know you would have done the same thing in my position, Sam."

"You're probably right," he shrugged. "I know it's my fault, too. I know that we didn't break up that you wouldn't have even applied for the position. And you would have missed out on a huge opportunity."

"You sound really conflicted," she laughed and he nodded. "I wouldn't have applied, but I'm glad I did," she admitted. "And I'm glad we had that time apart. We both got to fix ourselves over the time we were apart and_now_we're fixing our relationship. It's all working out."

"I guess you're right," he said, catching her eyes again. "I'm sorry, Andy. For everything."

"I'm sorry, too."

Sam put his arm around her body and pulled her into his side. When she looked up at him, somewhat surprised, he leaned in to kiss her. He had one hand at the base of her neck, holding her to him, and he hoped the kiss would seal that part of their past.

It was meant to be an innocent kiss, but when she kissed him back with force, he threw that idea away. He moved his lips to her neck and she balled his shirt in her hands, pulling herself into his body even more. He moved further back on the bed and pulled her to sit on his lap. When he moved his lips back to hers, she pushed him gently to lie back on her bed and she hovered above him. His hands ran under her shirt and up her sides and she rested her entire weight on him. He moved his hands to her hair and held her to him.

He hitched one of her legs up and flipped them over so he was on top of her. He kissed her again and she started to take his shirt off. He pulled back just long enough for her to pull it over his head before kissing her again and getting pulled closer. Her hands were running wild across his back and he couldn't really think straight. When he heard voices raising in the other room, he pulled back and licked his lips. Andy leaned up to kiss him, but he put his hand between them, stopping her.

When the voices started again, she fell back onto the bed and he rolled off of her, onto his back. They turned their heads to look at each other at the same time and both smiled. He wanted to kiss her, he wanted to rip her clothes off, but he knew her friends were just outside the door.

She squeezed his hand gently. "Please come over tonight," she said with a small laugh and he nodded.

"We should save Nash," he said, knowing they needed to get out of bed before anything more could happen. They both sat up and sighed. He watched her bend over and hand him his shirt.

Sam stood up from the bed, standing in front of her, and extended his hands. She took them and he pulled her up, kissing her as she landed against his chest. "Maybe you should just call out of work. Hang out here for the day," he suggested, knowing she would never do it.

"You know I can't do that," she said, reading his mind, and he smiled. When Gail yelled something, Andy let out a sigh. "Come on," she said, pulling him toward the door.

They walked out of the bedroom slowly and Traci shot them a look of terror. Nick and Gail were whisper screaming at each other, so Sam led Andy around them and into the kitchen. "What are they fighting about?" Andy asked, leaning closer to Traci.

"Gail apologized, but stood behind her decision to not move in with him," Traci told her. "And he whined like a drunken baby and she got angry. I don't really know what they're fighting about now."

When the three of them looked over at Gail and Nick, she was shoving him in the chest. "Can we please just go back to how things were two days ago?" She yelled and Nick's face fell into his hands. He shook it off, stood up, and took his phone out of his pocket. "Who are you calling?"

"I'm calling a cab," he yelled back and Gail nodded, rolling her eyes.

Before he really knew what he was doing, Sam spoke up. "Collins, I'll give you a ride if you really want one."

Everyone was looking at him, not really believing he had just offered it. Andy smiled at him and he nodded.

"You don't need to do that," Nick said, shaking his head. Sam figured Nick knew he wasn't his biggest fan at the beginning. But Sam knew how important he was to Andy.

"No, I was going to head out anyway," he shrugged and turned to his partner. "Nash, do you need a ride?"

"Yes, please," she said, smiling. "Come on, Nick."

"Yeah," he conceded, nodding. "Okay. Thanks."

"So, we're done talking about this?" Gail asked, crossing her arms, and Nick shrugged.

"I'll see you at work," he sighed, turning toward the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Andy," Traci said. "I'll clean these clothes tonight and have them for you."

"Don't worry about it," Andy said, waving her off. "Give Leo a hug for me."

Traci nodded and walked past Sam to the door, smiling at him. He watched Gail throw herself dramatically onto the couch and shook his head.

"Thank you, Sam," Andy said, grabbing his attention and his hands.

"I'm not doing anything for you," he laughed before kissing her. "Call me when you're leaving the station. I'll meet you here."

"Good," she smiled, standing taller to kiss him again.

"Have a good shift," he said, squeezing her hands before dropping them. She smiled and nodded and he turned to leave.

By the time he reached the parking lot, Nick had his head on the hood of the truck and Traci was rubbing his back, talking quietly. Sam unlocked the door from a few feet away and they climbed in.

"Thanks for this, Sam," Traci said from next to him.

"No problem," he shrugged, starting the truck. "You okay, Collins?"

"I don't know," he said slowly, but truthfully. "Women."

"I hear ya," Sam agreed, driving away.

"Hey!" Traci yelled, offended and Sam laughed.

"Too loud, Trace," Nick said. "Too loud."

"Where am I going?" He asked, looking at Nick in his rearview mirror.

Nick gave him the directions to his house and when Sam pulled up, Nick climbed out.

"Hey, Collins," Sam called before he got any farther away. Nick turned to look back in the truck. "I think it will be okay. If McNally and I can work, I don't see why you two can't."

"Let's hope so," Nick laughed sadly. "Thanks, though. And thanks for last night, too."

He walked away and Traci turned to look at Sam. "Last night?" Traci asked.

"He was out with Epstein and Diaz," he told her, shrugging. "They left and he stayed. Oliver and I helped put him in a cab, but I think he ended up at another bar."

"He definitely ended up somewhere," she laughed. "Hey, I'm really happy that you and Andy worked everything out," she said and he looked at her, surprised.

"Why?" He asked and she shrugged.

"You make her happy," she told him and he nodded, pulling back into traffic. "And she makes you tolerable."

"Nice," he laughed, nodding. "Thank you."

"You can bring me to the station," she told him and he nodded again. "I left my car there."

"Perfect," he said. They drove together in silence- something they were both used to. But neither of them really minded, it was just how they worked.

"Thanks again, partner," she said when he pulled up next to her car.

"Anytime," he told her and she smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

"Coffee's on you," he told her and she laughed. "Since I gave you a ride and all."

"Such a gentleman," she teased and he shrugged. "Coffee's on me."


	9. I'm Not Going Anywhere

**AN: Thanks for reading and reviewing! You're the best readers ever. I hope you like this chapter; it's one of my favorites. I've been writing this story so far in advance that I'm almost finished and I really can't wait for you guys to read what's coming. So, keep reading and reviewing and I'll keep updating.**

Sam left the office without notice. As soon as he was finished, he was out the door. Traci knew better than to stop him. Everyone else he passed knew better than to stop him. He had places to be and people to check on.

He had plans with Oliver, but he couldn't follow through with them after the day he'd had. He needed to get to Andy's and he needed to get there as soon as possible.

"How was the trial?" Sam asked as soon as Andy opened her front door. He moved past her and they walked to the living room together.

"It was fine," she told him. "It's Callaghan's case, so today was my only day in court. Or, at least, it should be."

"You guys built a solid case," he assured her, cradling her face in his hand. "He's done for, McNally."

"I'm just glad it's over," she shrugged and he nodded. She smiled at him, but he knew it was fake, so he kept looking at her. He knew there was more. "It was strange sitting in the same room as him and knowing what I did to get us there. I'm really happy that I never have to relive any of it," she said and he nodded. Sam kissed her forehead lightly and she continued. "I know I told you I wasn't scared, but the takedown was really intense, Sam."

"Hey," Sam said, putting his other hand on the other side of her face to tilt it toward his own. "Like you said, it's over, okay? You did an amazing job and it's going to pay off. And now it's over and you're here and you're safe."

"And you're here," she said with a small smile and he nodded. After he heard what she was doing, there was nowhere else for him to be.

"Why didn't you tell me you were testifying today?" He asked quietly.

"I didn't want you to worry about me," she said, rolling her eyes and he narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I really didn't want you to worry."

"You knew I'd find out," he laughed. "It's big news at the station. I knew you'd testify. I would have liked to know when."

"I know," she said quietly, nodding. "It was easier for me if you found out through the station. I didn't want to talk about the case anymore; that's all Nick and I have been doing with Luke for a week. When I'm with you, I don't have to think about it. I don't want to."

"Okay," he nodded. He really looked at her for the first time since walking into her house. She was still dressed for the trial, in a pencil skirt and a white dress shirt. He leaned in to kiss her softly. "You know, McNally, you've got that sexy librarian look working really well for you right now."

"Oh yeah?" She asked, smiling her first real smile, and he nodded slowly. His hands traveled from her neck to the top button of her shirt. "Thank god it's not one of your wildest fantasies."

"Thank god," he smirked. He pulled her closer by her open collar and kissed her hard. His hands moved down her shirt to undo the rest of her buttons and he untucked it before tossing it over the back of the couch. She laughed into the kiss before pulling far enough back to take off his t-shirt.

"You're such a cliché," she told him as she pushed him back on the couch. She rested on top of him and kissed him again, ignoring his automatic eye roll. His hands moved to the zipper on the back of her skirt and started to pull it down.

"You know," he said between kisses. "It could be worse. I could be complaining about your lack of glasses and the fact that you already had your hair down."

"Shut up," she laughed. She started to help him get her skirt off, wriggling on top of him, driving him crazy. "The funny thing is," she said, moving her lips just above his, "I had just taken down my very reserved bun and shook it out. You missed it."

Sam laughed before leaning closer to kiss her again. He moved her off of him so they were lying face to face. He ran his hand down her side slowly and she put her hands on his shoulders, pulling herself so their hips matched. He let out a deep moan against her mouth and then heard his phone ringing. They pulled away from each other, breathing deeply, and Andy laughed. Sam was not as amused.

"It's almost like people have your number on some kind of alert," she said and he nodded. "We start touching and that starts ringing."

Andy put her hand into his front pocket and he let out a sigh. "It's Oliver," Sam told her after she handed it to him. He turned slightly so he could rest it on the coffee table behind him. "I made plans with him this morning to go to the Penny tonight and forgot to tell him I wouldn't make it. He'll figure it out."

He pulled her into his body again and tried to kiss her. "Sam," Andy laughed, pushing him away gently. "That's your best friend. Call him back and tell him you can't make it. It's Oliver, he'll worry."

"Fine," Sam said, shaking his head. He sat up and sent him a text message instead. He stood up, put his phone on the table and leaned down. With one arm under her knees and the other across her back, he picked Andy up and she smiled.

"You're insane," she laughed as he rested her on the bed.

"Shh," he whispered before kissing her slowly. "It's a library."

* * *

Sam rolled out of bed as soon as he realized Andy wasn't on the other side. He barely navigated himself around her room, looking for his pants, without walking into her dresser. When he finally walked into the living room, Andy turned around and smiled at him. He was so exhausted; he just nodded while he rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. He sat on the stool next to her and pulled the coffee she had in front of her to his lips. He took two slow slips and let out a deep breath. It was just enough to wake him up. "Good morning," he said with a smile.

"Good morning," she said quietly. He gave her back the coffee and she looked at him nervously. "I want to give you something."

"Okay," he nodded to himself. She was already up and walking into her kitchen.

He watched her rummage around what he knew to be her junk drawer and waited. She seemed so jumpy at whatever was about to happen. He wasn't sure what she had for him in there, but when she turned her head to look at him, she let out a deep breath. He suddenly got very nervous himself. She turned completely and slid two keys across the kitchen island toward him. He looked down at them and then back at her. He could practically hear her heart racing and the wheels in her brain turning.

"Thank you?" He said and he knew it came out as a question, but he wasn't sure why this was making her so worked up. They'd been staying together almost daily since she got back. "You look like you're going to throw up."

"No," she shook her head and he stood up to stand in front of her. "I just want you to have those. The car key is more for emergencies. You know, in case I lock mine in the car? Which is likely to happen sooner rather than later. But," she stopped rambling for a second and let out a breath, "I want you to have a key for the house. I'm not saying you should move in yet or anything, but you're here enough that I think you deserve your own means of opening the door."

He couldn't help but laugh. He nodded slowly and leaned down enough to catch her eye. "Thanks," he told her and she smiled. "This will make things a lot easier."

"I thought so," she shrugged. Without any more discussion, she changed the subject. "You know, I was thinking maybe you should hang out with Oliver today since you came here last night. We can see each other later."

"McNally," he sighed. "This is the only day off we have together," he reminded her and he pulled her closer by her hips causing her to chuckle and catch herself on his chest. "Believe me, Oliver doesn't mind."

"Okay," she said with a shrug. Andy kissed him lightly before pushing herself to sit on the counter and pulled Sam's body closer using her legs. With his back against her chest, she hugged him around his shoulders with one arm across his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder while her legs hugged his torso. He leaned into her body and rested his cheek against hers. "Why did you come here last night instead of meeting him?" She asked.

"Because I wanted to make sure you were okay after the trial."

"You could have called."

"I didn't want to call, McNally," he laughed. He tried turning in her embrace, so she let her arm and legs fall from around his body. When he was facing her, he put his hands on her hips and she put her arms around his neck. "I wanted to be here in case you wanted to talk about it- in case you needed me."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning her forehead against his. "I feel like I've said that to you more in the past few weeks than I ever have before. I'm _really_ glad you came over last night and I appreciate all of the things you've been doing, but you don't need to keep doing them."

"McNally," he argued, rolling his eyes. She didn't get that he was just doing what he promised to do before she left.

"Seriously, Sam," she said before he could continue. "I know we've talked about this before, but I mean it. We were broken up. Now we're back together. We're happy, Sam. You don't need to make anything up to me."

"Fine," he shrugged, giving up. If he didn't then, she would just keep fighting him on it. "You're right. We're back together and we're happy. We're on level playing fields now."

"Exactly," she smiled. She kissed him quickly and he leaned closer into her body. "I really do appreciate everything you've done and how great you've been. You have showed me that this is what you want. And now I'm telling you that this is _exactly_what I want."

He smiled and licked his bottom lip. "Good, because I'm not going anywhere."

"Good."

They both smiled and Sam backed away so Andy could slide off the counter. He went to the living room and she joined him with his own cup of coffee. There was a reply from Oliver about the night before that basically said he understood why they couldn't meet up. He did hold him to drinks soon, though, which Sam was happy to agree to. He sent a quick reply and let out a content sigh. He traded his phone for the coffee Andy had brought him and sat back into the couch. With his free hand, he reached for Andy and she snuggled against into his side. He nearly jumped at the coldness of her hand against his stomach. She must have been cold herself because she pulled the blanket from the back of the couch to cover them both.

"Maybe you should start leaving some clothes here, too," she said suddenly. "Your morning after look is starting to become a normal thing."

"Yeah," he nodded. It was true and it was embarrassing. "I was thinking the same thing."

She kissed him lightly on the cheek and he turned on the television to an old episode of _Seinfeld_. They both drank their coffees until the mugs were empty and he placed them both on the table in front of them. Sam rubbed his hand up and down her arm under the blanket rhythmically and he could see her fighting to keep her eyes open. He had no idea how long she had been sitting in the kitchen waiting for him to wake up, but she was tired. When she kissed his chest lightly, he returned it with a kiss on top of her head. He smiled, so happy to be there with her. So happy to be happy again.

As the credits rolled, Sam noticed he was watching her instead of the television and she looked up at him and smiled. She sat up and kissed him softly. "Hey, I don't know what you're plans are tonight, but I'm having dinner with my dad if you want to come," she told him, running her hand over his chest.

"Does Tommy know you're inviting me?" he asked.

"No, but he won't mind. He loves you."

"Well," he smiled smugly. "That's true."

"Come on," she said, holding onto his hand. "His girlfriend is going to be there and I don't want to be a third wheel."

"So, you want to go on a double date with your father?"

"Well," she said, tilting her head, thinking about it. "I wouldn't put it like that, but I guess. We can go to the Penny after and meet our friends."

"Fine," he said, rolling his eyes. She smiled brightly and kissed him. "But you owe me."

"I'll buy a pair of glasses," she joked and he laughed thinking about the night before. "But if you have overdue books, I'll make sure you regret it.

Sam pulled her into his body and kissed her hard, pushing some hair out of her face. They both smiled into the kiss and he pulled back, brushing his nose lightly against hers.

* * *

Sam and Andy walked into the Penny together after the dinner with her dad. He bought them both drinks and she kissed him on the cheek. "Go," she told him, nodding to Oliver and Noelle. "I'll be over there."

He cradled her head in his hand kissed her on the forehead before turning around to sit with his friends. "Rough night?" Oliver asked while Sam took a long drink.

"Dinner with Tommy," he said and Oliver cringed as Noelle laughed. "He's not my biggest fan right now."

"Can you blame him, Sammy?" Oliver asked and Sam gave him a dirty look. "Can you?"

"Whatever," Sam said, shaking his head. Noelle rubbed his back and made a face at Oliver.

"How was McNally after the trial?" She asked and he shrugged.

"She was okay," he told them. "She's glad her part's over."

"You too?" Oliver asked and Sam looked at him, nodding. "She's lucky, you know?"

"I don't know," he said, shaking his head and laughing.

"She is," Noelle insisted and he just shook his head again.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, Brother, so are you," Oliver laughed and Sam nodded. "But, you've always been there for her. You gotta give yourself some credit."

"Okay," Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Please, let's talk about something else. Diapers, soccer practice, work."

"You're too modest, Sam," Noelle laughed. "But you'll never guess what the baby did last night..."


	10. Drugs and Guns

**AN: I loved this Chapter in _Welcome Back, McNally_. I think I like it in this one, too. It was definitely a whole lot of fun to write. Let me know what you think. I love hearing your opinions!**

"I'll see you tonight," Sam said to Andy as they walked up to the locker room.

"Meet me at the Penny?" She asked and he nodded. "Have a good shift."

"You, too," he smiled, leaning in to kiss her. She smiled and turned into the woman's locker room and he turned away toward the office.

Sam was ready for the bust he and Nash had been planning for weeks. He wasn't nervous, he'd been doing drug busts and gun busts for a long time, but he could see how nervous it was making Nash. When they called in Epstein to help, he'd been so excited at the thought. Noelle and Oliver would also be helping them out from the barn.

The plan was for him and Epstein to go in and make the buy- on the drugs. The guns were a new development they'd heard about only the day before, so they had to figure that out before the time came. Nash was going to be in the van with a couple of officers while Noelle and Oliver manned the video feed and kept in constant contact with her. It was a big job, he understood that, but he also knew that they could do it.

When he walked into the office, Nash was going over some notes with Epstein while Oliver and Noelle listened on.

"Hey, Sammy," Oliver said and he nodded toward him. He sat down at his desk and waited for Nash to finish up what she was saying.

"All right, are you boys ready?" Noelle asked and Dov looked to Sam who shrugged.

"I'm ready," he said and Sam smiled.

"I am if he is."

"Great. But what about the guns, Sam?" Traci asked and Sam looked at her. He could see she was nervous and that she just wanted it all to be over.

"She's got a point, Brother," Oliver said and Sam sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. "We need to figure this out. We want to be able to get them for all of it now, not just the drugs."

"I know," he said. "What do you think we should do, Nash?"

"They run the guns on the other side of the warehouse. I don't know how we can be in two places at once," she said, shrugging. "Maybe go in the wrong way, make some conversation on your way to the other side. I don't know."

"That might work," Noelle said, thinking it over. "But don't look too obvious. You went in the wrong door, oops. Let them show you the way, but make sure you have eyes on the guns before going."

"Be careful."

Sam looked up from the group around his desk and Nash's to see Luke walking to his own.

"Seriously, Sam. Just do it, but be careful. I've heard you planning this for weeks, so if you need any help let me know."

"Thanks," Sam nodded. "We'll let you know."

Sam appreciated the offer, but he wasn't sure what another body could do to help. They were only expecting two, so adding another would just put a wrinkle in things.

Nash looked from Luke to Sam and he offered a small smile to help alleviate her worries.

"Traci," Noelle said and everyone turned to look at her. "It's fine, okay. Sam and Epstein can do this. _You_can do this."

"Okay," she nodded and it really seemed to help. Sam watched her let everything sink in before turning back to the rest of the group.

"So, we've got two hours," Sam said. "Epstein and I will go get ready and meet you back here in one hour."

* * *

Sam ran into Dov in the parking lot right on time. They were both dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Dov was wearing a denim jacket and Sam had on a zip-up. They nodded at each other and continued to the D's office where Traci was waiting for them with Oliver and Noelle.

"Looking good, boys," Noelle said and Sam laughed, rolling his eyes. "Okay, good luck. Be careful. I'll see you later."

Sam nodded and Dov smiled. "All right, Epstein, let's do this," Sam said, slapping him on the shoulder. "Ready, Nash?"

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I am."

"Good," he smiled and the three of them headed back out. He and Dov got into an unmarked car while Traci and the uniformed officers got into the surveillance van.

They drove in silence, something Sam never expected from Dov. But he definitely didn't mind. He liked it, in fact. But if Dov wasn't talking, much like Andy, it meant something was going through his head. When he pulled up to the warehouse, the side they were not supposed to enter- so they could get eyes on the illegal guns, he looked over at Dov.

"You okay, Epstein?" He asked and Dov nodded, looking up at the building. "It's okay to be nervous, all right? Just _play_it cool."

Dov nodded again, turning to look at him. "You think we can do this?"

"I know we can," he assured him, slapping him once on the back. He looked up at the building and sighed. "Let's go."

They got out of the car, looking for the door. When Sam spotted it, he led the way and Dov followed behind him with his hands in his pockets. Before going inside, he looked for the van and nodded the signal to whoever was watching them. He made quick contact with one of the cameras the division had set up earlier in the week and opened the door, letting Dov walk in first.

As the door slammed shut behind them, they both looked around at the empty room. Not a gun in sight, not even a person. Dov looked at Sam with wide eyes and he shrugged, nodding toward a door. As they walked, they were both listening for sounds- voices, footsteps, anything. Only when they were halfway through did they hear footsteps and Sam turned to look.

"Wrong way, fellas," he said and Sam swallowed, looking at their target.

"Sorry about that," Sam said and they turned toward him. "This place is big, got a little turned around."

"Hey, that's fine. We're this way," he said, nodding toward another door. Sam and Dov nodded, walking toward him.

* * *

When Sam came to, his first thought was the pounding in his head. Then he gradually felt the pain throughout the rest of his body. He wasn't sure what happened, but when he turned his head, he saw Dov lying beside him. Oliver was standing above them and the paramedics were checking them out before moving them to the gurneys.

"Hey, Brother," Oliver said, kneeling down next to his head. "How are you doing?"

"What the hell happened?" Sam croaked, trying to sit up. He cringed and Oliver gently rested him back onto the ground.

"They saw the van as you were walking out with the drugs," Oliver said and Sam sighed. "But, we got them all."

"The guns?" Dov asked and Oliver smiled at him.

"There were no cameras on that side, but you, my friend, were smart enough to get chased right through there," Oliver said to him. "Or dumb enough, depending on how you look at it."

"Thanks," Dov said dryly and Sam could see he was in just as bad shape as he was.

Oliver stood up suddenly and the paramedics lifted them up. "Where's Nash?" Sam asked and Oliver walked outside next to him.

"She's okay," he told him. "Got elbowed in the eye during the scuffle, but she's taking care of some business. I'll call McNally and meet you at the hospital."

"Don't call her," Sam shook his head at the opened door of his ambulance.

"Buddy," Oliver sighed, shaking his head.

"I never told her. She was dealing with the Morales case and I didn't want to worry her," Sam said quietly and Oliver rolled his eyes. "I'll deal with it later. Don't call her."

"You're gonna regret that one, Brother," Oliver warned and Sam shook his head. "But, I got your back."

"Thanks," Sam said and Oliver backed away to let the doors close.

On the way to the hospital, Sam kept trying to remember the events that went down. He remembered the buy going smoothly, Epstein keeping his cool. He remembered getting walked to the door they had been expected to enter. And he remembered the van. It could have been any van to anyone but him and Epstein, but these guys knew what they were doing.

"What was the weapon?" He asked the paramedic. She looked down at him and smiled.

"Metal pole," she told him and he nodded. Now he understood why he was in so much pain.

"So, we didn't get many shots in, I'm guessing?"

"You did okay, considering," she laughed and he sighed. "They're all going straight to lock up, but they've got shiners and fat lips."

"Good."

* * *

As the doctor handed him a bottle of pain pills, he nodded and stood up. "If you feel any significant pain, come back in," the doctor told him and he nodded.

"Where's my partner?" Sam asked and the doctor led him to a room a couple of doors down. "How's he doing?"

"Same as you," the doctor shrugged. "I think he got a broken hand in the fight."

"Okay," Sam nodded. "Thanks, Doc."

"Be careful out there."

"I'll do my best."

The doctor nodded and Sam walked into Dov's room where he was getting his cast put on. "How are you feeling, Epstein?" He asked, sitting in a chair behind the doctor.

"I've been better," he said and Sam nodded. He couldn't agree more. "What about you?"

"Bruised ego more than anything," Sam shrugged and Dov laughed until it hurt too much. "Ribs?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You?"

"Three," Sam told him and Dov nodded.

They sat in silence until the doctor stood up. "You're all set," she said. "Be careful and stay off the streets until that's off. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Dov said and she smiled at each of them before leaving them. "Ready?"

"I'm ready," Sam said and they stood up.

They walked out to the waiting room where they knew Oliver would be waiting for them. Sam had his head down, watching his feet carry him in the correct direction. He was dreading for Andy to see him, mostly because she would be pissed. He was just going to get a ride to the barn with Oliver, get in his truck, and drive to her place. He wanted to get it out of the way as soon as possible.

As they walked around the corner, he finally looked up and his jaw dropped at the sight of her and Chris standing up with Oliver. He looked at Oliver for a second and he shook his head; he wasn't the one to tell her.

His surprise lasted as she practically ran to him and hugged him tightly around the neck. Despite the pain, he hugged her just as tightly and kissed her neck softly. He leaned into her as she ran a hand down the back of his head. He knew that he should have had Oliver call her; he would have hated not having her there.

She pulled back and put her hand gently on his cheek and he tried to hold in his flinch, but couldn't. The bruises around his eyes were big and they hurt like hell. She outlined the stitches on his forehead and ran her fingers gently down cheek before hugging him again.

He laughed quietly. "McNally," he said and when she pulled back, he saw the worry in her eyes. "I'm fine. We got them and I'm okay."

"You scared the shit out of me, Sam," she whispered into his neck and he tightened his arms around her again. He should have told her, that much was evident.

"I'm sorry, Andy," he said and she nodded before she pulled away. He watched her turn toward Dov and hugged him.

"How you doing, Brother?" Oliver asked, shaking his hand. Sam shrugged and Oliver hugged him, patting him on the back. "Good job tonight."

"Thanks," Sam said.

"Let's go," Dov said and Sam nodded.

Sam watched Oliver walk past Andy, patting her gently on the shoulder, and start toward the door with Dov and Chris. He walked toward her and put his arm across her shoulders and they followed the others outside. He smiled as she held onto the hand that was hanging around her neck and put her other arm across his back. As Oliver and the others went to his squad car, Sam and Andy walked to her car.

They untangled their limbs and Sam opened the driver side door for her. She caught him off guard when she stood tall and kissed him. He held onto her hips and held her body against his own, happy to have her there. When they finally pulled apart, he looked down at her and brushed some hair out of her face. Her smile was sad and he hated himself for it. "I'm sorry," he told her again and she licked her lips as she nodded.

"Don't ever do that to me again," she warned. He swallowed, but nodded. She kissed him on the cheek and he let go of her hips.

As they settled into the car, he watched her until she started the car. She started driving and he looked out the passenger side window. He felt her reach for his hand and she held it on her lap the entire way to her house.


	11. Pain

**AN: So, here you have the next chapter. I'm really excited for the next few chapters, so maybe you'll get more than one this week. I don't know, though, we'll see. Please let me know what you think of this chapter!**

**So, as you may know, I wrote and published a one-shot recently. If you haven't yet, give it a read. It's called _Coming Home_ and it takes place after 4.10. I'm also working on another multi-chapter fic. It starts the night before the pilot and then I'm going to make the rest up as I go along. I'm not sure if I'll post it (I feel like it's been done to death) but it's been fun to write. **

**Thanks for reading and for the reviews!**

When Sam woke up, he felt the pain in his body immediately. He blinked a few times and noticed Andy sitting up in bed, looking down at him. She didn't look pleased and he couldn't really blame her. After jumping down her throat about not telling him about the trial, he didn't have the guts to tell her about a bust that could have gotten him and her friends killed.

"How are you feeling?" She asked and he shrugged. He sat up slowly and she backed off an inch or two. "Well, I have to get ready for work. I'll drive you to the station to get your truck."

"Yeah," he nodded and she got out of bed. Before she reached her door, he spoke up. "Andy, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about last night."

"I don't want to talk about it, Sam," she said and left him alone in her room.

He heard the shower running and pushed himself out of bed. It hurt like hell, but he needed to drive his truck, so he couldn't take any of his medication until he got home. Getting dressed was a whole new kind of pain, but he got through it while she was still showering.

He went into the kitchen and started the coffee maker, bracing himself against the counter. When he heard it stop brewing, he poured himself a cup and sat down at the counter. He heard her leaving the bathroom, but turning around would have hurt too much, so he looked down into his half empty cup.

"You haven't taken any painkillers yet, right?" She asked when she got to the kitchen and started pouring coffee into her travel mug.

"Nope," he said, shaking his head. He watched her carefully and saw no change in her mood from when he woke up. "I'll take one when I get home."

"Good," she nodded, looking away from his stare. "I've got to go. Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

They walked out together in silence and got into her car. He wanted to say something, but he couldn't think of anything but "sorry" and he'd already apologized. When she pulled into the empty spot next to his truck, they both got out and he was sure she was going to leave him there.

"McNally," he said, reaching for her hand and pulling him toward his truck.

"Sam, I'm going to be late," she said, taking her hand back. "I'll see you later."

"Come on, Andy," he begged and she rolled her eyes. She shook her head and walked away while he watched her. He was surprised when she turned back, but it only lasted a second.

Once the door closed behind her, Sam got into his truck and drove to his house. He hated his house now that Andy was back, but he had no idea when he'd be welcomed at hers again. He got that she was upset, but he didn't know what else he could say. He'd apologized and he couldn't go back in time and tell her about the bust.

When he got home, he took his pain pills from out of his back pocket and tossed them from one hand to the other. Just as he sat down on the couch with a glass of water, ready to swallow, his phone rang and he answered it without checking to see who it was. He just hoped it was Andy.

"Hi. How are you?" He said and it was so rushed that he sounded pathetic.

"Hey, little brother," Sarah said and he sat back, rubbing his hand through his hair. "What's gotten into you?"

"Nothing, what's up?"

"Whoa," she said and he sighed, knowing it had come out colder than he intended.

"Sorry, Sarah," he said, wincing at the pain in his body. "It's been a long couple of days."

"What's going on?" She asked and he could hear her starting to worry. "Are you okay?"

"I had a bust last night," he explained. "It didn't go quite as we planned it to. I spent some time in the hospital with some broken ribs and black eyes. I got stitches in my forehead. I'm okay, though."

"That doesn't _sound _okay, Sammy," she said and he nodded to himself. "Where are you now?"

"Home."

"Alone?"

"Yeah," he said. He didn't know who else she thought would be with him. "I'm about to take some pain pills and do nothing for the next few days."

"Want me to come up?" She offered and he smiled. "I'll do whatever I can."

"No, Sarah, it's fine," he insisted. "I just need some rest. I'll be back to work next week. Oliver will keep an eye on me."

"He better," she said and he smiled again. "When am I going to see you?"

"I don't know," he told her. "I'll make a trip down when I'm feeling better and once things at work have settled. Soon."

"Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it," she said sarcastically. "Call Nan and Pop. But I wouldn't tell them about what happened. They shouldn't be worried if they don't need to be."

"I'll do that right now," he promised. She said goodbye and they hung up. He dialed his grandparents' number and waited for an answer.

"This is Ed."

"Hey, Pop. It's Sam."

"Sammy," he said and Sam could hear his smile. "How are you?"

"Fine," he said, remembering that Sarah said not to worry him. "I'm good. How are you guys?"

"Oh, we're fine," Ed told him. "Your grandmother's out shopping, so I'm sitting at home alone."

"So am I," he laughed. "I just wanted to call and say hi."

"I'm glad you did. Why aren't you at work?"

"I have the day off," he lied. "But it's kind of boring."

"No girlfriend to keep you company?"

"Pop," he sighed, not wanting to get into it.

"What? You're a good looking guy, Sammy. You should have a girlfriend. Unless there's something you're not telling me."

"What do you mean?"

"You've sounded pretty good the last few times I've called," he said simply and Sam nodded.

"I _am_good, Pop."

"Because you got a girl."

"Yes," Sam said slowly. "But don't go telling Nan and Sarah. You know how I am and you know how _they_ are."

"If she means anything to you, you're going to have to tell them eventually, Sammy."

"She means everything to me, Pop. I'll tell them myself eventually. She's great, but she's my business."

"You keep too much to yourself. If she's so great, why can't we meet her?"

"You will, Pop," he sighed again, staring at the pills on the table. "I promise. I should go. Tell Nan I called. Love you."

"Love you, too, Sammy," Ed told him. "Be careful out there."

Sam hung up and tossed his phone on the couch next to him. He took a pill and downed some water before getting changed into a pair of sweatpants and a clean t-shirt. When he got back to the living room, he lay back on the couch and turned on the TV.

He did not plan on telling his Pop about Andy, but the man had always had a way to get Sam to talk. Ever since he was little. He didn't actually mind. If he knew anything, it was that his secret was safe with him. He just wasn't ready for the women in his life to start making a big deal out of everything. Things with Andy still felt fragile, especially after the night before.

* * *

When Sam heard the knock on his door, he shut off the TV and looked at his watch. It was later than he thought; he'd been on the couch all day, doing nothing. He sat up slowly, the pain from his ribs making him wince, and went to the door.

"You scared me," Andy said as soon as he opened it. Sam nodded, and moved aside to let her in.

"I know," he said, closing the door. They walked into the living room together.

"I'm pissed at you," she told him and he nodded. They sat down on opposite ends of the couch and she crossed her arms over her chest. "If you had just told me when it was happening, I wouldn't have worried at all."

"McNally," he sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "You had Morales."

"I don't care about Morales, Sam!" She yelled and he nodded into his hands.

"No one expected it to be such a big deal," he argued when he finally looked up at her.

"You knew it was a big deal for a week. And you got so upset when I didn't tell you when I was going to_ court_," she spat out, shaking her head. "There was no way for me to get hurt in court, Sam. I picked you up from the _hospital_ last night. You wince every time you take a breath. You can barely see out of your left eye and your right is almost as bad. There's a huge gash on your forehead with a disturbing amount of stitches in it. You were in actual danger last night and you didn't have the common courtesy to let me know what you were doing."

"I am sorry," he said quietly. She looked away from him and he sighed, moving just a little closer to her. "Andy, I'm not great at this part of relationships. The talking thing is still pretty new to me."

"Well, Sam, don't expect me to talk if you're not going to do the same," she told him and he nodded. "I'm not great at it either. But if we want to last, then we need to talk to each other."

"You're right."

"You have no idea how worried I was last night," she told him. He thought she was insane and let out a loud chuckle, void of humor. "What?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"I think I have an idea, McNally," he told her and she shook her head. "Remember when you got shot? That was one of the scariest moments of my life."

"Sam," she said, her whole being softening.

"Remember when you were stuck in the burnt down building?" He asked and she nodded. "I practically ripped Oliver's head off for letting you in there."

"He didn't let me, Sam," she reminded him.

"I know that," he laughed. He knew it then, too, but that didn't stop him from screaming at his best friend. "And what about the time you didn't show up for work? The time Peck got kidnapped and you got attacked. I _know_ what it's like to worry."

"Okay," she said and he smiled when she slid closer to him. "So, was last night my punishment then?"

"No," he laughed. "I'm just letting you know that I know what it's like to worry."

"Fine," she nodded. "So, then, can we agree to tell the other person when we know we will be doing something that could worry them?"

He nodded, "That seems fair."

"I'm sorry I was so cold to you this morning and left you in the parking lot."

Sam nodded slowly, remembering when he left her in a parking lot. Even when he thought breaking up with her was for the best, he always hated himself for just leaving her out there in the rain.

"You were upset. I get it," he said and she shrugged.

"How do you feel?" She asked. He tried to act tough, but when he took a deep breath, the pain was too much. "Not so great?"

"I've been better," he laughed which caused him to wince in pain again.

"Sam, take it easy," Andy told him, making him lie back on the couch. She went to his bedroom and got his pain pills and stopped on the way back for a bottle of water. "So, I see you cleaned your place without me," she said when she sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"Yeah," he nodded, sitting up just enough to swallow the pill and some water. "It wasn't your mess to clean."

"Well, it looks good," she told him, taking back the water bottle. She slid onto the floor and rested her head back near his. Sam started running his fingers through the ends of her hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," he said, watching her.

"Was I part of your decision to become a detective?"

"Uh," he started, looking away from her. He wasn't prepared for that question. He wasn't really sure where it even came from. "Part of it. I figured, if we got back together, that it would make things easier. I wasn't totally wrong when I said I couldn't be a cop and be with you."

She nodded slowly and he looked back at her. "I thought it would make this easier. And I think I was right," he continued and she nodded.

"I do, too," she told him. She moved onto her knees and turned to face him. "But if it's not what you really want, then I feel terrible. If you'd rather be in uniform, on the streets, then you should be."

"No, Andy," he shook his head. "I still get to be a cop and I'm with you. That's all I want. I don't need to be in uniform to get the bad guys."

"Okay," she said quietly. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips. As she ran her hand through his hair, he felt it harder to stay awake. The pills hit him hard and he just got so tired. "You should get to bed, Sam."

"Stay."

She smiled and he immediately remembered the night he had asked her that so long ago, and the answer she gave then. "Okay."

She kissed him again and helped him to his feet. While they walked to his bedroom, Sam reached for her hand and pulled her closer to him. When they got to his room, he took off his shirt and watched her turn down the covers on his bed. He got into bed and watched her get changed into a pair of his boxers and the t-shirt he had just taken off. He smiled when she climbed into bed next to him.

"I love you," she whispered, thinking he was asleep, and kissed him on the cheek. He reached for her hand and she squeezed his as they both fell asleep.


	12. A Weekend Apart

**AN: I wanted to give you guys another chapter this week. I'll post the next one on Sunday probably. Are we all ready for the finale? I'm not. It's gonna hurt like a bitch.**

**Thanks for reading and all the reviews. You're awesome! Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

"I'll see you two tonight," Frank said, walking toward his office, leaving Sam and Oliver alone in the D's office.

"Bye, Boss," they both called after him before turning to each other.

"Do you want me to pick you up or do you just want to meet there?" Sam asked, leaning against his desk and crossing his arms.

"You can pick me up if you want," Oliver shrugged as Luke joined them. "Callaghan, are you coming to Frank's bachelor party tonight?"

"Wouldn't miss it," Luke laughed, sitting down at his desk. "I can't make the wedding, though."

"Why not?" Sam asked, trying to play nice. And, he was honestly just curious.

"I'm going to another wedding actually," he said, throwing something into the bottom drawer of his desk. "You know how it is this time of year."

"Sure," Sam nodded. He did know that the beginning of summer was a big wedding time, but he wasn't really experienced in weddings themselves.

"Well, we will see you there," Oliver said and Luke nodded. "I've got to change, Sammy. I'll see you tonight."

"I'll call you when I'm leaving McNally's."

"Great," Oliver said, walking toward the door. Sam watched as he walked into Epstein and put his arm around his shoulders.

"So, you and Andy seem pretty solid," Luke said and Sam stood up, looking at him.

"We're good," he said simply, walking around to the other side of his desk.

"That's great, Sam," Luke said seriously and Sam nodded. He reached into the top drawer of his desk and grabbed his keys. "You two make a lot more sense than we ever did."

"Yeah," Sam nodded with a laugh and Luke smiled. "I've got to go meet her. I'll see you tonight."

"See you later, Sammy."

Sam left the office and turned toward the locker rooms. He was excited about the bachelor party. Just the guys going out for drinks and cigars. They didn't want to get too crazy. Everyone was spoken for and strippers weren't an option, especially for Oliver. Sam didn't mind, though; he'd only gone to strip clubs when forced.

"Oh, hi," Andy said, walking into him outside of the locker rooms.

"Hey," he smiled. He held her face in his hand and kissed her softly. "You ready?"

"Let's go," she smiled.

Sam reached for her hand and they left together. They had been doing really well the last three weeks since the bust and his visit to the hospital. His eyes were back to normal, he had a small scar at his hairline, and his ribs only hurt when he was really exerting himself. He'd been making every effort to stay in Andy's good graces and, he could tell, she was doing the same for him. They'd spent every single night together at her house since. They'd also been on the same schedules, so they were driving to and from work together every day.

They were spending the night apart, though. She had Noelle's bachelorette party and he wouldn't be done with the guys until late. He'd probably end up at home with Oliver sleeping on his couch. Frank was excited about the wedding and Sam was excited for him. He'd seen Frank go through two failed marriages, but he knew this one was for the long haul. Oliver was excited, too. He liked having people to relate to in relationships. Unlike Sam, who loved Andy, but liked to keep his personal life _personal_.

Andy opened her front door and headed to her bedroom, most likely to get changed. And Sam walked into the kitchen to make dinner. He'd been making dinner for the two of them on the nights they had off together. He liked to cook- he liked having a purpose. He'd barely been to his own house since the night after the bust. He'd stopped by a couple of times on his lunch break to grab clothes, but that was about it. His own kitchen had no food in it. His bed had been in the same state of disrepair since the last morning he and Andy had woken up in it.

He smiled to himself when he heard Andy leave her room and sit down behind him. She had a habit of watching him cook. "Would I be rushing things if I asked you to make things easier and just move in with me already?" she asked and he stopped breathing.

When he got his lungs working again, he turned the stove down and turned to look at her. "I'm just wondering," she shrugged with a smile.

He nodded slowly and then moved to lean against the sink. "McNally, do you know what you just asked me?" He asked.

"Of course I do, Sam," she laughed. "When was the last time you even slept in your bed?"

He knew the answer. He knew she was making sense. But he didn't know if it was too soon. "It's been a while," he admitted.

"Just think about it," she told him and he nodded. He swallowed and turned back to the stove.

When he was finished, he filled two plates and slid one to Andy. He walked around the kitchen island and sat next to her with his own.

"I'm so excited to see you in a suit," she told him and he laughed. He nudged her knee with his own and she smiled. "I actually got you something. I'll give it to you after dinner."

"What is it?" He asked, nudging her again.

"You'll see after dinner," she laughed.

"Oh boy."

When Andy was finished, she pushed her plate away from her and swung her legs to rest on Sam's lap. "You're going to the bachelor party tonight, right?" She asked.

"Yeah," he nodded, pushing his plate away. He rubbed his hand up and down her calf. "I'll be back here tomorrow."

"Don't bother," she said and he looked at her, shocked. She laughed, but held onto his hand tightly. "No, not like that. I picked up a shift tomorrow so I could have Monday night off. That way, we don't have to rush back from the beach."

"All right," he nodded. Two nights in a row at his house alone- he wasn't sure how to feel about that. But, then, why couldn't he just say yes to the question she'd asked him. "I should head out soon, though."

"Okay," she said, taking her legs back and standing up. She put their plates in the dishwasher and he watched her with a small smile. "I'll be right back. Don't leave yet."

Before he could say anything, she was in her bedroom. He washed his hands in the sink and leaned against the wall near the door. She walked toward him, smiling, and he pushed himself off the wall.

"Here," she said, handing him a tie.

He turned it over in his hands and had to admit that it was nice. "What is this for?" He asked.

"Wear it on Sunday," she said with a smile.

"Thank you," he smiled before leaning in to kiss her. "I really have to go," he reminded her.

"Okay," she nodded. She balled his shirt in her hands and pulled him closer, kissing him long and hard. "Have fun."

"I'm going to miss you," he whispered against her lips and she smiled, pulling away.

"Think about what I asked you," she told him and he nodded. It was probably going to be one of the only things he thought about. As she started to back away, he couldn't resist taking her face in his hands and kissing her again, eventually moving his arms to hug her closer. "Oh, wow," she said breathlessly when he brushed his nose against hers.

"'Night, McNally," he said quietly, catching his own breath, leaning his forehead against hers and playing with the ends of her hair.

"Goodnight, Sam."

He smiled and left her house. As he closed the door, he swore he heard her say, "oh, wow," again.

* * *

"So, Swarek, when's your wedding?" Frank asked as they stood at the bar alone. Sam looked at him with wide eyes and shook his head. "Come on, you haven't thought about it?"

"I've got enough to think about, Frank," he told him.

"Like what?"

Sam regarded him for a minute and then looked behind him at the table of their friends. He hadn't told anyone what he and Andy had talked about, but he thought it might be nice to get someone's opinion. "Like moving in with her," he said, tipping his beer back. "We just talked about it over dinner. If I can't say yes to that, I can't really be thinking about the next steps."

"McNally wants you to move in?" Frank asked, surprised. Sam nodded, leaning his elbows against the top of the bar. "And you said no?"

"I didn't _say _anything," he laughed and Frank shook his head. "I'm thinking about it."

"What's there to think about, Sammy?" Frank said, patting him on the shoulder before going back to sit down. Sam watched him walk away and Oliver turned toward him with raised eyebrows. Sam nodded and pushed himself off the bar to join them.

He still wasn't sure about moving in with her. Yeah, it would make sense, but they'd only been back together a little while. He was sure it would happen eventually, but he wasn't sure they'd found a rhythm that worked yet. But he also knew that he wasn't looking forward to spending two nights alone in his bed.

* * *

As Sam walked into Andy's building, he ran his hand over his hair to make sure it looked okay and then made sure his shirt was tucked in. He hated suits and ties, but it was kind of necessary when going to a wedding. He let himself into Andy's and she peeked her head into the living room.

"I'll be right out," she said and he nodded, smiling. He sat in one of the stools at the kitchen island and waited for her to join him. They didn't have much time to waste if they wanted to check into their hotel before heading to the wedding.

"Whoa," Sam said, standing up when she left her room. Andy smiled and ran a hand over the skirt of her dress. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," she said, walking closer to him. She did look amazing. She was wearing a one-shouldered, deep purple dress. It fit her tightly on top and then fell easily around the bottom half. "You look pretty good yourself," she told him as she straightened out his tie.

She used the tie in her hands to pull him closer and kissed him softly. She had to tighten and straighten the tie again, but she didn't seem to mind. When she was finished, she put her hands onto his shoulder and he put his arms around her waist and kissed her.

"I see why you bought me the tie now," he said. The purple in the tie perfectly matched the purple of her dress and her black shoes and belt matched the rest of it.

"Perfect match," she smiled.

"Yeah," he nodded and then kissed her again. "I missed you the last couple of days."

"Me too," she said, stepping closer to him. "I'm excited about tonight. We're not really going away together, but it will be our first night in a hotel together."

"I plan to get our money's worth, too."

Andy laughed and kissed him. Sam held onto her a little tighter. "We need to go, Sam," she reminded him and he nodded, staying completely still. He continued looking at her until her smile turned into a laugh. "Sam, come on."

"McNally," he said into her ear. He felt her arms tighten around his neck and her shiver against his body. "This dress in not going to last three seconds in that hotel room."

"The sooner we leave, the sooner we can take it off," she whispered and he let out a deep breath before kissing her bare shoulder. "Seriously, Sam. We have a long wedding ahead of us and it's going to seem a whole lot longer if we don't stop."

He knew she was right, so he pulled away from her with a smirk. "Thank you," she said.

Sam nodded and picked up her bag. "Let's go," he told her and she opened the door for him. He watched her straighten the belt around her waist and then brush a pile of curls over her shoulder and he smiled. "You look great. Let's go."


	13. Wedding Bells

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews, as usual. You are amazing! Let me know what you think!**

**Also, I started a story that follows the finale. It's called ****_He's Awake_**** and it takes place the morning after. Obviously, it's Sam/Andy. It started as a one-shot, but I was convinced to continue. Give it a read!**

When Sam pulled up to their hotel, Andy was talking on the phone to her father. "McNally, I'm going to check in and bring our bags up," he whispered and she nodded with a smile.

He got their bags out of the back seat and went into the hotel to check in. It was a small hotel, but it was nice and homey. "Checking in. Swarek," he said when he got to the front desk. The woman behind it smiled, typed his name into the computer and handed him two keys.

"Room 15," she told him and he nodded, taking the keys. He took the stairs two at a time and got to their room. It wasn't anything special, but it would do for the night. He left the bags next to the door, shoved the keys in his pocket and went back out to the parking lot.

Sam tapped on Andy's window and she turned to smile at him as he opened the door. He reached for her hand and helped her step down. Once she was out of the truck and the door was closed, he kept her hand in his and walked toward where the wedding was taking place. He straightened his tie and could feel her looking at him. "What?" He asked, putting his hand in his pocket.

"You look good," she told him. He smiled and kissed her cheek. "This is kind of our coming out party, huh?"

"What are you talking about?" He asked with a laugh. It was no secret they were together. "Everyone knows we're together, McNally."

"But we never _go out _together," she reminded him and he nodded. "My friends have even mentioned that they think it's weird how we don't hang out at the Penny together. Today, we're sitting together and eating together and drinking together and dancing together in front of everyone we know."

"Who said anything about dancing?" He asked and she hip-checked him playfully. "You'll be real lucky if you get me to dance."

"Oh, I plan on getting lucky more ways than one today," she winked at him and he laughed.

"And the best looking couple award goes to..." Dov called, standing next to Chris outside his car. "Looking good, McNally."

"You two clean up nicely," Andy told them as she and Sam approached. "Where are your girlfriends?"

"Cassidy's in New York City with her mother and sister," Dov explained and Sam nodded.

"We couldn't find a babysitter since everyone we know in the city is here," Chris said and Andy smiled sadly. Sam knew, from Andy, that Diaz and his girlfriend were having some issues. "She didn't really want to come anyway. She hates leaving Christian with almost anyone."

"They don't know what they were thinking when they let you two loose alone," Sam joked and Andy laughed, squeezing his bicep.

"We should get back there," Chris said, nodding toward the back of the house.

Sam looked up at the house as they walked around it. It was huge and beautiful and he could see Andy's eyes gleaming as she looked at it herself.

"How's your hand, Epstein?" Sam asked.

"Oh, it's fine," he answered, waving it off with his good hand. "I get the cast off next week and then I can finally get back on the streets."

"Too bad," Sam shrugged. "You've been a huge help to me and Nash."

"Well, whenever you need me, I'm yours," Dov smiled proudly. Sam, and everyone else, knew how much Dov thrived on compliments. He wasn't lying, though- Dov had been a huge help since the bust.

Sam nodded at Oliver and Izzie as they walked over to join the group. "Sammy, Brother, looking sharp!" Oliver said, clapping him on the shoulder. "McNally, beautiful as ever. And you two look okay, I guess."

Izzie gave Sam a hug and looked between him and Andy with a smile. "Uncle Sammy, I never pegged you as the type of guy to match his date at a wedding," she said and he laughed, running his hand down his tie.

"Izzie, be nice," Oliver warned and she smiled. They all walked toward the seats, finding Gail and Nick. They all sat around them and Andy looked over at Gail.

"Gail, you look very nice," she said and Gail smiled.

"So do you," Gail said. "So cute that you two match."

"Is this going to be a thing now?" Sam asked, looking at their friends. "McNally tricked me into matching her. But we look damn good doing it."

Andy laughed and put her hand on his thigh comfortingly. He squeezed it and smiled at each other.

"Where's Mrs. Shaw?" Nick asked and Sam watched Oliver carefully. He still worried that Zoe might kick him out for the smallest infraction.

"My little sister is sick. She had to stay home with her," Izzie answered. "Who gets sick the first weekend of the summer?"

"Your very unlucky little sister?" Sam asked sarcastically. Izzie gave him a dirty look and Sam returned it while Oliver and Andy looked on.

As the wedding began, everyone went silent. Sam watched on with a smile that matched Andy's. She was looking between Noelle and Traci, but he kept his eyes squarely on the couple saying their vows. He was so happy to see two of his oldest friends so happy and in love.

Sam squeezed Andy's hand again and she rested her head on his shoulder for the rest of the short ceremony. When Frank kissed Noelle, Sam dropped a soft kiss on Andy's head. After Frank and Noelle walked back down the aisle together, their guests rose from their seats and followed them to the tables set up on the other half of the huge yard. Their large group sat at an even larger table and Traci and her date joined them.

Andy and Traci were talking, but Sam turned to look at Oliver who nodded and they turned to look at Traci's date. He looked familiar and Sam remembered that he was the guy Traci dumped Jerry for years ago. It was her son's father. He felt Andy's knee nudge his own, so he turned away and Oliver followed suit.

After Traci introduced him around the table and lunch was served, Sam went to get drinks with Oliver, Dov, and Nick. "Seems like a nice guy," Nick said, turning to watch Dex walk into the house.

"He's a good guy," Dov shrugged.

Sam looked at Oliver who shrugged and changed the subject. "Collins, how's living with Peck?" He asked and Sam and Dov looked on. Sam thought back to the question Andy had asked him on Friday and he knew he needed to make up his mind eventually.

"It's good," he said, taking their drinks.

"I don't buy it," Dov said, taking his own drink.

"Why not?" Nick asked with a laugh.

"I've lived with her," he shrugged. "It's almost unbearable."

"Yeah, well, you weren't sleeping with her, Epstein," Oliver laughed, and they all turned back to the table.

Sam sat down and handed Andy her glass of wine. They all ate through lunch, talking and telling jokes. Sam watched as Traci and Dex went to dance and then turned back to Oliver. Just as soon as Oliver started telling him a story, he felt Andy's hand on his shoulder and he turned to watch her head to the dance floor with Chris.

"Oh, look at that," Oliver said and Sam turned to look at him slowly.

"What?"

"Diaz and McNally," he shrugged with a sly smile. Sam narrowed his eyes and Oliver laughed, causing Izzie and the rest of the table to look on.

"Epstein, Izzie, next song, you should go dance," Sam suggested and Izzie's face turned bright red. He'd noticed her looking at him all day.

"My hand's broken," Dov said, holding up his cast. Oliver shook his head and Sam laughed, looking over at Andy and Chris.

She waved and he nodded, smiling a little, and she went back to focusing on Chris. When the song ended, Oliver got up and walked on the dance floor straight to Andy and Chris. Sam watched as he took her hand and Chris walked to the table, offering his hand to Izzie. As they walked past him, Izzie slapped Sam on the side of the head and then turned back to smile.

"Go get her," Gail said after a few minutes. Sam turned to look at her and both she and Nick were smiling smugly. "What?" She asked innocently.

"Shut it, Peck," he said as the song ended.

He got up and walked straight to his girlfriend and his best friend. He smiled at Oliver and took Andy's hand from his. He pushed him by the shoulder and said, "Thanks, Brother. I'll take it from here." Oliver walked away and laughed.

"Well, hello," Andy said, settling into his body as a new song began. "I was wondering how many men I would have to dance with before you got up the nerve to ask me."

"I figured you and Oliver were talking about me and I needed to stop it," he said with an overconfident smile. He kissed her cheek and she smiled, holding tighter to him. "So, what were you talking about?"

"None of your business, Sam," she said and he laughed. "Nothing you'd find interesting."

"Okay," he said sarcastically.

Andy laughed and kissed him softly. She rested her her head on his shoulder and he rubbed her back as they continued dancing. Sam could smell her shampoo and he kissed her temple. As much as he hated public displays, he happened to like holding her as close she was.

When the song ended, Sam took her hand and led her back to the table. The sun was just starting to set and the cake was being served. He could see the excitement in Andy's eyes when she realized. As they ate, he held her hand that rested on his thigh while he was turned to Oliver and Frank, who was squatting between them.

"Stevens won't let up, man," Oliver said, nodding toward the bar.

Both Sam and Frank turned to look at Stevens, who they had all went to the academy with. He was hitting on every single woman that came within two feet of him. Since he was stationed at the bar, there were plenty of opportunities for him to make moves.

"Stevens never lets up, Brother," Sam laughed and Frank nodded. "That guy has no shame."

"Don't let Izzie near him," Frank warned and Sam laughed.

"Don't let McNally near him," Oliver countered and Sam nodded, straightfaced.

"I'm going to continue mingling," Frank said, standing up. "I'll stop back before we leave."

"Have fun," Sam called after him and Frank smiled, moving on to the next table. He and Oliver now turned to the conversation Andy and the rookies were having. Something about Nick being a slob which Andy confirmed. Then it moved onto Andy's anal tendencies and Sam kept his smile to himself.

"You're a little _too _organized," he told her and she gasped dramatically. He laughed quietly. "I'm sorry," he shrugged.

Andy looked around the table until her eyes narrowed on him. "You're just lucky you know how to clean up after yourself," she told him and the table laughed. "Again," she emphasized.

"Cute," he said, nodding and she laughed.

She kissed him on the cheek and turned back to her friends while Sam kept his eyes on her, not wanting to see everybody staring at them. He knew that she had a point earlier, about the wedding being like a coming out party for them, and he didn't want the attention.

"They can't handle us," she said quietly and he laughed, sitting up and straightening his tie. "This is weird for you, too?" She accused and he lied, shaking his head. "Yes, it is. PDA freaks you out, doesn't it?"

He looked at the rest of the table, carrying on their own conversations, and turned back to Andy who was waiting for an answer. "A little," he said quietly. She put her hand on his shoulder, pulling herself closer, and kissed him. "That's helpful. Thank you."

"Sorry," she laughed. "I couldn't help it."

He smiled and shrugged. "Well, I can't blame you. Look at me. I make this suit look good."

"Yes. Yes, you do," she nodded.

Towards the end of the night, when the sun was down and the music behind them was blasting, Sam and Andy's table was buzzing with conversation and laughs. They'd kept to themselves throughout the reception. Sam couldn't deny that he was having fun. He had his best friend on one side and Andy on the other. They were surrounded by the rest of their friends, it was their own family.

"Well, if it isn't the table having the most fun out of everyone," Noelle said as she and Frank joined them, interrupting Oliver's story that had everyone in stitches.

"And if it isn't the lovely couple that brought us all together," he countered and Noelle rested her hand on his shoulder with a smile.

"We're off to the honeymoon," Frank told them. "We'll be back on Friday and back to work on Saturday. Don't make me regret it."

"We'll be on our best behavior, Boss," Sam told him and Frank nodded skeptically.

"Go, Mom and Dad," Oliver teased, earning him a slap on the back of his head from Noelle. "We'll be fine."

"Thanks for coming," Noelle said softly and everyone smiled at them.

"Oh, God," Nick said after looking at his watch. "I think we need to go. I've got to work the early shift tomorrow."

"We should get going, too," Traci said. "My mom is with Leo, so we should go free her."

As they all got up to leave, Izzie turned away from her phone and looked at her father. "Dad?"

"Looks like we're leaving, too," Oliver said, standing up and sighing. "Izzie, you're driving," he told her, handing her the keys.

"Smart move," Sam laughed and Andy smiled against his shoulder.

"And how do you two plan on getting back to the city?" Oliver asked.

"No need," Sam laughed again, pulling out the key to their hotel room. "We'll see you back at work on Tuesday, Brother."

"Bastard," Oliver hissed before he followed Izzie to the front of the house.

"Next round is on me," Chris said, pushing his chair away from the table.

"It's an open bar, Diaz," Sam reminded him and Dov laughed.

"Plus, you've got to get home," Dov told him.

"Oh yeah," Chris sighed sadly and they both stood to leave. Sam wasn't sure of much concerning Chris Diaz, but he knew that he'd had a rough time adjusting to the whole parenting/being with his ex thing.

"I'll drive," Dov said gently and Chris wordlessly handed him his car keys. "We'll see you two later."

"Then there were two," Andy said when they were gone. "Want to go for a walk?"

"Yeah," he smiled and she kissed him lightly.

They stood up and Sam slid his jacket off to drape over Andy's shoulders. The party was still going on, but it was now quieter and people were trickling out all around them.

"That was fun," Andy said, lacing her arm through his.

"It was," he nodded.

"You were a pretty good date."

"You weren't so bad yourself," he laughed. When he realized how close to the beach they were, he veered off toward it. He smiled at the surprise etched on Andy's face.

"What's happening?" She asked with a laugh. "Are you going to drown me for kissing you in public?"

He rolled his eyes and said, "Yes, McNally. I'm going to drown you."

"Thanks for the warning," she laughed again as they reached the sand. "Wait."

They stopped walking and she bent down to take off her shoes. She held them in one hand and held onto one of his with the other and they continued toward the water.

Sam sat down and she joined him. "I really like you," Andy said with a playful smile. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her.

"Good," he said, running his hand down her arm that was still covered by his jacket. "Because I _really _like you."

She smiled at him again and rested against the side of his body. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her. "You're a lot more romantic than I ever thought you were."

"Something about you, McNally, it just brings it out in me," he said and she laughed. He looked out at the water and beach and then back at her. "Let's go on vacation and just get away for awhile," he said and she looked over at him, surprised. "I'm serious. Soon."

"Okay," she said with a smile when she realized he was being honest. "I would love that."

"Good," he said and kissed her slowly. "We should get back to the hotel," he said, licking his lips and she kissed him again. She clearly agreed with him. "Like right now."

"Whatever you say," she said.

He stood up and offered her his hand to pull her up. As she started walking away from him and toward the street, he grabbed her upper arm and spun her into his body. He didn't know why, but he needed to touch her. His hands were in her hair and her arms were circling his waist before their lips even met. When they finally pulled away from each other, Andy let out a single laugh.

"You're pretty good at that. I'll never get over just how good at that you are," she said.

He shook his head and laughed before kissing her again, softer and sweeter. "Hey," he said, looking over her shoulder and then back at her. "I love you."

She smiled and ran her hand over his cheek. "Hey, I love you."


	14. Big Move

**AN: Thanks for the reviews. Thanks for reading. I love you all to pieces. I am almost completely finished writing this story. I only have the last chapter and for those who've read _Welcome Back, McNally_, you know how exciting that chapter is. I can't wait to get my hands on it from Sam's POV. **

**Another reminder, I started a story called _He's Awake _and I think you should all give it a read. I just posted the fourth chapter, and there will be more to come!**

Sam left the station after taking a shower and climbed into his truck. He had worked most of the day and well into the night on a case that was finally closed. As he settled into his truck, Traci walked past, waving and he nodded in her direction. He waited for her to pull out of the lot and drove out himself. He was beyond exhausted and he was annoyed. The asshole that they caught threw a bag of trash at him and its contents ended up all over him. Luckily, he had a change of clothes at work, but it didn't change what had already happened.

He drove straight to Andy's in the dark and parked in the only open spot. He walked inside and let himself into her condo, sliding his shoes off near the door. He continued to her room where he left his clothes in a neat pile and got into bed with her.

"What the hell?" She asked, sitting up. "Sam?"

She turned the light on and looked over at him. "Sorry," he said quietly. He didn't mean to scare her.

"What happened to you?" She asked, covering her nose with her hand. "What is that smell?"

"Come on," he grunted, getting out of bed. "I already took a shower at the station."

"But what happened, Sam?"

"I was chasing some guy down an alley and he threw a bag of trash at me," he explained, scratching his chest and avoiding eye contact.

"It's bad," she laughed and he looked at her, completely emotionless. "I'm sorry. I know it's not your fault."

"Thanks, Andy," he laughed. She got to her knees and rested at the edge of the bed to kiss him.

"Sam, it's fine," she told him, pulling on his arm. "Get back in bed and get some sleep. It's late."

"Fine," he said, crawling back into bed.

* * *

Sam woke up late the next morning and immediately took a shower. He knew he smelled, but he was ready to climb back in bed as soon as possible. When he got out he heard his cell phone ringing. He found it in the back pocket of his jeans and sat down on the edge of the chaise.

"Frank?" He said answering the phone.

"I know you had a late night, Sam, but I need a favor," Frank said and Sam let his head hang.

"Sure," he said.

"I have a friend who says she was robbed. Shaw and Epstein are on their way there now. Can you and Nash check it out?"

He looked at the alarm clock on Andy's bedside table. "Yeah, I'll give her a call," he told Frank.

"Thanks. I'll text you the info."

"Okay, Boss."

When he hung up, he laid back and ran his hand over his face. He took a couple of deep breaths, hoping that would wake him up. When that didn't work, he went to the kitchen and smiled at the coffee pot that Andy had left half full. And it was still warm.

After he drank that and got changed he called Traci. "Hello?" She said groggily.

"Sorry to wake you, Nash," he said sitting on the edge of the bed. "Frank needs us to help a friend out."

"You've got to be kidding me," she whined and he shook his head to himself.

"Not kidding," he sighed. "I'll pick you up in ten minutes, okay?"

"Yeah," she sighed. "See you then."

Sam stood up and slid his phone into his pocket and looked around the room. He threw his dirty clothes into the hamper and made a note to do the laundry before the end of the week. Andy was always doing their laundry, it was probably time for him to do some.

* * *

When he picked up Nash, he handed her a coffee and she took it without a word. When she was finished gulping a good amount down, she smiled and he drove toward the address Frank had sent him.

"Thanks," she said and he nodded. "You know, sometimes I really hate our job."

"You know, me too," he said, pulling up to the house behind the cruiser. The owner was outside on the front steps. "Ma'am, I'm Detective Swarek and this is Detective Nash."

"Thank you for coming," she said frantically. "There are officers clearing the house, but whoever was here could still be in there. I swear he's still in there."

"Okay, calm down," Nash said gently. "Let's step inside. They're upstairs now," she told her, pointing to Oliver in a second story window.

Sam followed them inside when another cruiser pulled up behind his truck. He stuck his head outside and saw Andy. "McNally, Peck, go around back and make sure it's clear. Shaw and Epstein are clearing the upstairs," he called and they both nodded, drawing their guns.

When he got back inside, the owner of the house was breathing heavily. "I don't want to be in here," she told them. "They could still be in here."

"Okay," Sam said, turning around and rolling his eyes. The three of them walked back to the front yard while Oliver and Dov walked down the stairs with their guns holstered. The house was clear.

Andy and Gail passed them and walked into the house while Traci and Sam listened to what the owner was telling them. According to her, while she was showering, someone had come in and stolen her engagement and wedding rings right off her dresser. If she wasn't a friend of Frank, he wouldn't believe a word of it. The house look untouched.

"I'm going to send Peck and McNally back out," he told Traci when they finished listening to the victim. "Get anything else you can," he said quietly so just she would hear.

When he walked inside, he found the four officers in the living room. "Peck, McNally," he said and they both turned to him. "You two should head out. I don't think there's any reason for six of us to be here. There's no reason for me to be here at all."

"Okay," Andy said. She was watching him and he gave her a tight smile. "Call us if you need anything."

Sam nodded and watched them leave. "What do you think, Brother?" Oliver asked and he turned to the remaining officers.

"I think I should be in bed," he told him and Oliver nodded. "I don't know," he said then. He looked out the window at his partner. "Let's see if she has anything else she can tell us."

The three of them walked out the front door and joined Traci and the victim. Just as they all got there, her cell phone rang and she excused herself to sit on the front steps.

"How's it look, Nash?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know," she shrugged, letting out a yawn. "Sorry. She says we should look into her ex-husband."

"That's as a good a lead as we'll get," Dov said and Traci nodded. "Name, address?"

"Sam and I will take that," she said. "Take the neighbors, okay?"

Oliver and Dov nodded, heading to the next door neighbor's house. Sam and Traci walked over to the victim and she hung up the phone. "My sister's on her way over," she told them.

"Great," Traci smiled.

"We're going to go check out your ex," Sam told her. "Is there anything you could tell us about him?"

She told him everything she could think of. As she finished, her sister joined them.

"Thank you," Traci said, sliding her notebook into her back pocket. "We'll do our best."

"Thank you."

Sam and Traci climbed into his truck and he drove off toward the address given. "Dov just texted me," Traci announced and he nodded. "Says that multiple neighbors saw the same man enter and leave within ten minutes. No clear description, but from the pieces they got, it could be the husband."

"Good," Sam said, pulling up outside of an apartment building. When they got to the suspect's door, there was no answer. They tried again, but got nothing. "Great, this isn't going to be easy."

* * *

After he booked the husband that had, in fact, let himself into the house and stole his ex-wife's jewelry, Sam went back to his office.

"Come on," he said to Traci. "I'll take you home."

"That's okay," she smiled. "Dex is coming to pick me up. Thanks, though."

"No problem," he smiled. "I'm going home."

"Have a good night."

"You, too," he said, turning to leave.

Instead of going home, he drove to Andy's and let himself in. "Hey," he said and she turned toward him from the couch, smiling.

"Did you just get out of work?" She asked and he sat down next to her.

"Yup," he sighed, crossing his arms and resting his head against the back of the couch. "Someone was in that lady's house. Epstein and Shaw asked around the neighborhood and they mentioned the same guy going in and coming out ten minutes later. She was in the shower and her ex-husband came in and stole her wedding and engagement rings off of her dresser. She never changed the locks, so he used his old key and there were no signs of a break-in."

"Oh my god," Andy sighed and Sam nodded. "Did you guys get him."

"Yeah. It took the rest of the day, though."

"I'm sorry Sam," she said, taking his hand. "I know you had a late night and you were supposed to have the day off."

"It's all part of the job, McNally," he said, turning to look at her and she smiled softly at him. "Do you want to get dinner? I'm not in the mood to cook."

"I can cook, Sam," she laughed. "You just never let me."

"Let me take you out," he said and she shrugged, standing up. He met her at the door and kissed her softly before they left.

When they got to the restaurant, they were seated immediately and ordered drinks. "I booked the resort when I got home," Andy told him once the waiter had dropped off their drinks and left. He nodded. "You got the plane tickets, right?"

"I told you I did," he reminded her and she nodded, taking a sip of her martini. "So, we're officially going on vacation together, huh?"

"Looks that way," she smiled. "Are you going to be okay on the flight?" She asked, tilting her head and he narrowed her eyes at her. Before buying their tickets, Sam had finally admitted his fear of flying. She didn't tease him at the time, but that didn't last very long.

"I'll be fine," he said, taking a drink of his beer. "Thank you for your concern."

She laughed and squeezed his hand. "We're going to have a lot of fun," she said and he nodded. "I mean, if that one night at the beaches is any indication, we may never see the rest of the resort. We'll just stay in our room all week."

"That's the plan," he smirked and she laughed.

"It sucks we have to wait until September, though," she said and he nodded. "I just want to fast forward the next three months and get there now."

"Patience is a virtue, McNally," Sam said and she rolled her eyes. She had always been a little impatient. "At least, it is from my experience." She smiled and squeezed his hand again.

When the waitress brought them their food, they ate together and Andy reached across the table and picked up a piece of his steak. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked, taking a piece of chicken from her plate.

"You don't even like mushrooms," Andy said, pulling her plate toward her and he laughed. But when he put it in his mouth, he nearly threw up and she laughed. After swallowing, he laughed again and took a long sip of his beer to wash the taste out.

Even though Sam was tired and worn out, he was having a lot of fun with her. They kept talking and teasing each other. He regretted not doing more of the same before they had broken up. He now knew how they needed more time together for the good of their relationship. Now, he barely existed away from her.

"Thank you for dinner," Andy said when they finally left the restaurant. "You're a fun date."

"Only because of the company," he said, putting his arm across her back and she tilted her head up to kiss him. "Penny?"

"Yeah," she smiled and he opened her door for her.

They drove to the Penny, holding hands on his center console the whole way. When they walked into the bar, the place was pretty empty. The only people they knew were Nick and Gail sitting at their regular table alone. Sam's friends, unfortunately, were not around.

"We can leave if you want," Andy offered and he shook his head, leading her to the bar. Her friends were there, so there was no reason for them to leave. He ordered their drinks and pulled out his wallet. Before he could take out any money, though, Andy threw down her own bills. "You got dinner. I've got drinks."

"Thanks," he said and he kissed her quickly. They sat down with Nick and Gail and Gail smiled at them. He didn't trust the smile on her face, but he didn't care enough to say.

"Thank god someone else is here," she said. "This place is a ghost town tonight."

"I can tell," Andy said and both she and Sam looked around the bar again. "Where is everyone?"

"No idea," Nick answered. "We just got here, but we figured more people would be here. It's a perfectly good Tuesday night."

The four of them continued talking and drinking. It wasn't a normal thing for Sam to be hanging out with them all, but he didn't mind. And the more time he spent with them, especially Nick, he understood why Andy liked them so much.

Sam excused himself to use the bathroom and realized how tired he actually was. But, since they were having a good time, he wasn't going to say anything.

When Sam got back to the table, Andy was laughing at something, but the other two had on the same suspicious smiles. Right as he sat down, he noticed Dov and his girlfriend come in and walk over to them.

"Hey guys," Andy smiled as they sat down.

"Where the hell is everyone?" Dov asked and everyone else shrugged. The six of them continued talking until the subject of Sam's case came up.

"Nice job today, Epstein," he said, referring to the husband that Epstein had taken down.

"Second day back on the streets and you took that guy down hard, I heard," Nick said and Dov shrugged with a cocky smile.

"Well, if Swarek hadn't sent me and Andy packing, we would have given Epstein a run for his money," Gail told them and Andy nodded.

"I don't think so, Peck," Dov said and Gail shot him a dirty look.

"Date night at the Penny and nobody asked me?" Oliver called, dragging a seat over to the table. "That hurts, guys. Especially coming from you, Sammy."

"We don't like you that much," Sam told him, slapping him on the back.

Oliver laughed and slapped his back twice as hard. The table was a tight squeeze, but they were still having a good time. Sam tried to stay as awake and invested as possible, but it was starting to be a problem. He felt a sense of relief when Gail and Nick decided to leave.

"Yeah," Andy said, standing up. "I think we should go, too. I'm beat."

"Oh, thank god," Sam said, joining her.

"Bye," they said and the table waved.

Sam left the Penny with Andy, Nick, and Gail. "Well, that was fun," Nick said as he opened his door. "Have a good night, you guys."

"Thanks," Andy said, giving him a high five.

"Yeah," Gail said, leaning over the roof of her car. "Have a good time at home."

* * *

When they got to Andy's, they walked right to her bedroom and got changed. He immediately got into bed and rested against his pillow.

"Sam?" Andy said quietly, sitting up in bed.

"Yeah?" He asked, pushing himself to sit next to her. "What's up?"

"Um, do you, uh," she stuttered and his eyes widened as she took a breath. "Sorry. Do you remember what we talked about the night of Frank's bachelor party?"

He thought about it for a second and remembered quickly. "About me moving in?" He asked and she nodded, letting out a deep, annoyed breath. "What about it?"

"Uh, well, you haven't answered me," she told him. "I asked you a week and a half ago. You haven't answered me, but you also haven't lived in your own home since the wedding."

"Yeah," he said slowly. "You told me to think about it. I've been actively thinking about it, Andy."

"That's great," she said shortly. "But you basically live here. You know that, right? You came _here _after your shift in the middle of the night."

"I'm sorry?" He said. It honestly wasn't something he thought about, so he understood what she meant. And he did hate the idea of being at his place without her. He just still wasn't sure.

"No," she said, laughing nervously. "I don't care that you came here. I'm just confused. If you're not ready for us to live together, that's fine. We'll talk about it later on, somewhere down the line. But if you're going to basically live here, you may as well make it official... I guess. I don't know. You're living out of one drawer and a fourth of the closet. I want you to have your own dresser and maybe some of your own things. Aren't you sick of smelling like my lavender body wash? I mean, I find it sexy, but..."

"Okay," he laughed, putting up his hand to stop the rambling. "I hear what you're saying. It's just- it's a big move."

"I know," she said seriously. "You think I'm not freaking out about it? I mean, I didn't even think about it when I asked you, but I've also been actively thinking about it and it's terrifying."

"Yeah," he laughed, agreeing with her, but she shot him a look.

"But I _hate _it when you're not here," she told him and he nodded. He felt the same. "And that's really strange for me. But I'm selfish and I want you here all of the time. I want to go to bed with you or at least wake up with you. I want to have meals with you and watch TV with you. I want us to live together. But if you're not comfortable with it, that's fine, Sam."

He leaned over, holding her face between his hands and kissed her before she could start talking again. She leaned into him until they were both lying on his side of the bed. When he pulled his head back against his pillow, they were both trying to catch their breath and they both smiled.

His mind was racing with everything she had just said. And he agreed with all of it. He felt the exact same about her. He licked his lips, nodded, and said, "Okay."

"Okay?" She asked and her face lit up, causing him to laugh.

"Yeah," he nodded, kissing her quickly. "I mean, you're right, McNally. I pretty much live here as it is. We should just make it official."


	15. Home Sweet Home

**AN: Thanks for all the reviews! Seriously, you're all awesome. Hope you like this chapter. Let me know what you think!**

Sam wiped the sweat from his forehead and slid his suitcase underneath Andy's bed, now his own. Then, he threw himself on top of it and let out a deep breath. He turned toward the door when Andy walked in trying to fan herself. Her t-shirt was too big, but the sweat made it cling to her torso. She got into bed next to him and rolled onto her side.

"That's it, right?" She asked. "I can't lift anything else this weekend, Sam. I'll fall apart."

"That's all that's coming here," he yawned. He turned onto his side to be face to face with her. "I've got to get everything else into storage before the end of the month, but that can wait until my next day off."

"So, then, we live together?" Andy asked, smiling brightly. "Officially."

"Looks that way, McNally," he said, fighting back his own smile. "Are you already regretting this decision?"

"No," she said seriously. "Not for a second."

"Good," he said. He rolled her onto her back and kissed her hard, holding her at the base of her neck.

She was pulling him further into her body with her arms around his waist. They were wrestling with each other's clothes until she ended up on top of him, straddling him in her sports bra and underwear. She sat up and he held on to her thighs, both of them breathing deeply and looking at each other. She rested her hands on either side of his head and her hair fell from behind her ears, creating a curtain around them. He smiled up at her and brushed one side of her hair behind her ear and pulled her down for another kiss.

"Andy!" They stopped what they were doing at her father's voice. She sat up and Sam watched her run to the door to close it. She rested her back against it and looked at him with bright red cheeks. "Andy?" Tommy called again.

"I'll be right out, Dad," she called back. "I'm _so _sorry," she said quietly to Sam and he laughed.

He threw her t-shirt and shorts and they both got dressed quickly. Before she opened the door, Sam tilted her head toward his and kissed her. She smiled and kissed his cheek and went out to the living room where Tommy was sitting on the couch.

"What's with all the boxes?" He asked and Sam looked at Andy incredulously. She covered her face with her hands and he knew she had not told him about Sam moving in.

"Really, McNally?" He asked and she shrugged. "Wow," he laughed humorlessly. He moved to sit at the stool at the kitchen island, looking in at them.

"Something else you're not telling me?" Tommy asked, looking between the two of them. They watched each other until Andy sat down next to her dad.

"Did I not tell you that Sam was moving in?" Andy asked innocently and Tommy looked at Sam. He kept his eyes on his shoes, avoiding eye contact. "Dad?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "You didn't. Why is that?"

"I didn't think of it," she answered, shrugging. "I thought I told you. I don't know."

"None of that makes any sense," Tommy said and Sam couldn't agree more. Andy was talking gibberish. "Andy, are you sure this is a good idea? Things are moving pretty quickly between you two."

"We've been back together for a little over three months," Andy argued as Sam watched on. "We were together for almost a year before we broke up. I think that's plenty of time." When she looked at Sam, he held his hands up, letting her know he was staying out of it.

"But you _did _break up," Tommy said and both Sam and Andy rolled their eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Andy. He broke up with you. I remember because I was there for you when he couldn't be bothered by it."

"Dad!"

"Come on, Tommy," Sam said, finally speaking up. Both Andy and her father looked over at him. "We went over this a few weeks ago at dinner. We've moved past it, why can't you?"

"I'm not talking to you, Swarek," Tommy yelled and Andy shot him a hard look. He took a breath, coming down, and said, "I'm sorry. I'm trying to look out for you, Andy."

"I know, Dad," she sighed. "And I appreciate that. But Sam and I are happy. We're living together now, as of today, and I want you to get along with him. You always liked Sam."

"Yeah," Tommy nodded and Sam let out a relieved breath. "Well, I came over to see if you wanted to grab dinner or something, but I'll leave you two alone."

"We have a pizza on the way," Andy said. "You can stay and eat with us if you want."

"No, that's okay. I'll see you later," Tommy said, getting up. Andy joined him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Bye, Dad," she said and he nodded before leaving them alone. "That was weird."

"I think we just need to accept the fact that he's not my biggest fan," Sam said, getting up to stand in front of her. She put her arms around his neck and he put his around her waist. "Sorry."

"It's not your fault," she shrugged.

"Actually, it kind of is," he laughed and she rolled her eyes. "Sorry about that, too."

"Stop," Andy said, kissing him to make sure he did. "I like you. That's enough. Now, let's finish what we started before we got rudely interrupted."

Sam laughed and kissed her. He bent slightly and lifted her until her legs were around his waist and he carried her into their bedroom.

* * *

Sam finished crushing the last of his boxes and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. He took a bottle of water out of the fridge and finished it in two sips before tossing it into a bag of trash he'd started when he began unpacking.

His day off was spent unpacking and cleaning and he was exhausted. He checked his watch and sighed. He told everybody that he'd be at the Penny and he needed to shower and get dressed. He ran his hands through his hair and did just that.

When he was finished getting dressed, he tucked his phone into his back pocket and grabbed as much of the trash he could carry. He stopped by the dumpster before getting into his truck and driving to the bar. He pulled up and parked next to Noelle's car, searching the lot for Andy's car. He didn't see it, so he went inside and sat at the bar.

"Sammy," Noelle smiled as he sat next to her. "How was your day off?"

"Exhausting," he said as the bartender put a scotch in front of him. "Thanks."

"Exhausting?" Noelle laughed. "I thought you had the day off?"

"Moved in with McNally yesterday," he told her. He figured that since he had told Oliver that Noelle would have heard. "You didn't know?"

"No!" She yelled, slamming down her drink. Sam laughed and shrugged.

When he heard the door open and close, he turned and saw Andy waving at him on the way to Nick and Dov's table. He nodded quickly and turned back to Noelle.

"Sorry," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "But, yeah. I moved in yesterday and stayed home today to unpack."

"I can't believe you moved in with her," she said, shaking her head and Sam raised his eyebrows. "I mean, I'm happy for you. I'm just surprised is all."

"Yeah," he laughed, taking a drink. "Thanks."

Oliver walked in and sat next to him. "Thanks for what?" He asked.

"I'm happy for him and McNally," Noelle explained and Oliver smiled.

"Oh yeah!" He said, patting him on the back. "The big move was this weekend. Congratulations, Brother."

"Thank you," he said, taking another drink.

Oliver ordered a drink and leaned in front of Sam to talk to Noelle. Sam sat back and listened on, turning to look back at Andy and her friends. Chris and Gail were sitting with them now and Andy was laughing.

She got up, walking toward the other end of the bar to get a drink. When she turned around, she looked up and noticed the three of them and decided to change her course.

"McNally!" Oliver called as she came closer and she smiled.

Sam put his arm out and she sidled up to him as he held her around her waist. "I just wanted to come over and say hi," she said and Sam smiled and squeezed her lightly. She put her arm around his shoulders and took a sip of her drink.

"Don't run off yet," Noelle said and she shrugged. "We want to hear about the move."

"Oh, no you don't," Andy insisted, shaking her head while her fingers played with the end of Sam's short sleeve. "It was miserable and long and tiring."

"It sucked," Sam agreed. "It was just the two of us."

"How's the place look?" Oliver asked.

"It looked like a maze constructed of cardboard boxes when I left this morning," she said, looking to Sam. "How's it look?"

"You'll see," he shrugged.

"Alright," she laughed. She shook her head and kissed his cheek. "I'm going to head back. See you guys later."

Sam let his arm fall from around her as she swiveled and walked back to her friends as he watched on. When he turned back to the bar, he took a long sip and let out a yawn.

"You're not staying much longer, huh?" Oliver asked and Sam shook his head. "Back at work tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. Oliver nodded, understanding that Sam had a long weekend behind him. The exhaustion was written all over his face.

He did stay for another drink, listening to the stories about their weekends. And as he was about to leave, Luke and his girlfriend joined them.

"Hey, Callaghan," Oliver said.

"Hi guys," he said. "This is Nikki. Nikki, this is Oliver, Sam, and Noelle."

"Nice to meet you," Sam said with a nod of his head.

"It's nice to meet you guys, too," she smiled. "So, you're all cops?"

"Sammy's a detective like your boyfriend," Oliver told her. "But we're cops, yeah. What do you do?"

"Real estate. Nothing as exciting as police work," she laughed. As they were talking, Luke had gotten them both drinks.

"Want to sit down?" He asked her, nodding toward an empty table.

"Sure," she said with an easy smile. Sam could tell she did that a lot. "It was really nice to meet you all."

"I'm sure we'll see you around," Noelle said and Nikki smiled before heading off with Luke.

"She's nice," Oliver shrugged and Sam nodded.

"I'm going home," he told them, throwing down money for his tab. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Brother."

"'Night, Sammy."

* * *

When Sam got home, he sat on the couch and took a look around the room. He didn't change much when he unpacked, but you could definitely tell a man was living there now. The few things that were added or moved changed the whole look of the place.

"Hey," he said when he heard Andy opened the door. He got up and met her in front of the door. She was looking around, smiling. "What do you think?" He asked.

"It looks like home," she smiled, putting her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"How was work?" Sam asked, sliding his hand underneath her shirt to rest on her back.

"It was okay," she told him before kissing him again. "Nothing exciting. How was unpacking?"

"It's done, so that's all that matters," he shrugged and pulled her closer. She smiled and he brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her. Her arms tightened until there was no more space between them.

"Welcome home," Andy laughed and Sam walked them until the back of her legs hit the couch. "Bed," she breathed and he obliged, picking her up and walking to the bedroom. His lips never left hers.

Once he reached their room, he kicked the door shut and gently rested her on the bed. She tugged on his shirt, pulling him closer, and he kissed her again as they both kicked off their shoes. They wrestled each other's clothes off, throwing them aside one by one. Sam wrapped the comforter around them and kissed her nose.

"Yeah," Andy breathed, arching her back. "I like coming home to you."


	16. Trouble

**AN: This should have been up earlier this week. I'm sorry it's later than expected. _He's Awake _has been taking up a lot of my writing and posting time and I apologize. This story is pretty much finished, so I shouldn't be too damn lazy to post the chapters. Jeez, I suck. Anyway, let me know what you think and I'll try to get the next chapter up this weekend.**

"Call her," Traci said to Sam after Luke had told them about the Morales case resurfacing. He looked at her and she nodded.

He thought about it for a second and stood up. "I'll be back in a little while," he said, leaving her and Luke in the office. Neither of them stopped him.

Luke told them that he had finally gotten enough evidence on the last member of Morales' crew. Jacob Cress was causing trouble all over the city and Luke was ready to bust him. He needed Sam and Traci, though. He also needed Andy and Nick.

Sam knew how much the subject of Morales got to Andy and Traci was right. He should be the one to give her a heads up before her shift. So, he got into his truck and drove toward their condo.

When he opened the door, he saw both Andy and Nick sitting on the couch. "What are you doing here?" Andy asked, concerned, and Sam looked between the two of them.

"Uh, I need to talk to you," he said, sitting in the empty chair near Andy. "Both of you, actually."

"Oh, okay," she said and he could tell she was confused. "What's up?"

"One of Morales' guys," he started carefully. He waited to continue until both Andy and Nick let out breaths and sank back into the couch. "Uh, we need to get him- tonight. We have all of the evidence stacked up against him, we just need to find him and arrest him. And we need you two to help us."

"Which guy?" Nick asked. He sat up, taking it very seriously, which Sam appreciated. Sam knew how well he knew Morales' crew and that he wanted them off the streets as bad as Luke.

"Jacob Cress."

"He's trouble," Andy said and Sam nodded. "What do you need us to do?"

"I just need you guys to come in and talk to Callaghan, Nash, and me," he said, looking right at Andy. If either of them were going to try and insert themselves into the investigation, it would be her. "Once we have an idea of where to look, _we'll_go and get him. I wanted to let you know before you came into work. I didn't want either of you to be blindsided by this and I knew you'd call Collins and let him know."

"This makes it easier," she shrugged and he nodded again. "Can I talk to you in the bedroom?"

"Yeah," Sam said, standing up. Nick sat back in the couch quietly, taking in what Sam had just dropped on him.

"I'll be right out," Andy said and he nodded. Both she and Sam walked to their room and he closed the door behind him.

"I know you don't like talking about Morales or the case, but we need help with this," Sam said gently, taking one of her hands and she nodded, closing her eyes.

"Cress is seriously dangerous, Sam," she told him and he nodded. "But we didn't have enough on him when we got Morales."

"I know. Callaghan has been putting a case together for a while. He's the last piece to the Morales puzzle. Once we have him in custody, that whole crew is done for."

"I can't speak for Nick, but I want to help you get this guy," she told him and he sighed.

"Then, in an hour, when you walk into the station, the two of you are skipping parade and talking everything out with the three of us," he said seriously and she shook her head. "Andy, I'm not putting you on the streets to get this guy. Everyone knows you and Collins are cops now; it's too dangerous to put the two of you on it."

"I'll just talk to Luke," she said defiantly and Sam let her hand drop to run his hand through his hair. "It's his case, Sam."

"I've got to get back to work," he said and then kissed her forehead. "We'll talk about it later."

"Fine," she shrugged and he left their room.

"Bye, Collins," he said as he walked past him to the front door. He got into his truck and drove back to the station.

"How'd it go?" Traci asked, standing up when he got into the office.

"Andy thinks you'll let her on the streets," Sam said to Luke who just scoffed. "You're not letting them on the streets."

"No," Luke agreed, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"How'd she take it, though?" Traci asked, sitting back down the same time Sam sat down.

"Okay," he shrugged. "Collins was there, and neither of them were expecting it. They'll be okay, though."

* * *

Sam, Traci, and Luke were sitting around the table in the back of the room when Nick and Andy walked in and sat down.

"Hey guys," Luke said and Sam crossed his arms, looking right at Andy. "I know this isn't going to be easy or fun for you, so we'll make it as quick as possible."

"We just need you to tell us everything you can about this guy," Traci added and they both nodded. "Who he hangs out with, where he hangs out, where he lives, what he does when he's not shooting up- that kind of stuff."

"And neither of you are going to help us find him," Sam said sternly and Luke nodded. He watched Andy roll her eyes. "We know how dangerous this guy is and he knows exactly who you are now."

"Sorry, McNally," Luke shrugged and she crossed her arms, nodding. "Tell us about him."

"He's a young guy," Nick started. "Seems like the nice kid next door. We hung out a few times, but he was always in and out in minutes. He only cared about seeing and interacting with one person," he said, looking at Andy who let out a breath.

"Who?" Sam asked, looking at her.

"Jenna Morales," Andy answered and Luke let out a frustrated breath.

"How's she related again?" Traci asked, taking notes.

"It's his daughter," Luke told them.

"She's the one you worked with?" Traci asked and Andy nodded. "You were friends."

"Practically inseparable," Nick said. "She and Jake have been together since high school. Morales loves him like a son."

"This doesn't change anything, Andy," Luke said and Sam was grateful. "She definitely knows who you are. I assure you, she doesn't want to be your friend anymore."

"First her father and now her boyfriend," Sam said, shaking his head. "You're not going anywhere near her."

"Nash and I are going to handle this case from the street," Luke said to Andy and Nick. "Sammy's going to be in the van with Shaw, following our every move. What else can you tell us before we go out there tonight?"

Sam sat back as Andy delved in farther to the story of Jacob Cress. Nick filled in any holes she had skipped over and shared his own stories on the guy. The two of them went back and forth while the other three listened on and took notes. When Andy finished her final sentence, she looked at Sam and he offered her a small smile that she reciprocated.

"That's great guys," Luke said, nodding. He put his notebook down and tapped his pen against it. "Now, McNally, what can you tell us about Jenna?"

"What do you want to know?" She asked, running her hand through her hair.

"Everything," Traci said, agreeing with Luke's train of thought. If they needed to get information, Jenna Morales would be the best source.

"No," Luke said, shaking his head and leaning on his elbows. "Not everything. She spent six months cultivating a friendship with this girl. Everything literally means _everything_. Focus on anything you can remember about her and Cress. Collins, I know you spent time with her, too. If there's anything Andy leaves out, I need you to fill it in."

"Stop talking to us like we're witnesses and not cops," Andy said and Sam's eyes widened, looking between her and Luke. "Please."

"You're right," Luke nodded. "Go ahead."

"Thank you," Andy said before starting telling them what she knew about Jenna and Jake. She went on another half an hour and Nick helped piece together some of her stories. "I don't remember everything. We were working Morales at the time, not Cress. I was focused on Morales."

"We get it," Sam said, leaning his elbows on his knees and rubbing his face in his hands. "That's good."

"Yeah," Traci agreed, smiling.

"I convinced Best to keep you two off the streets tonight," Luke told them and they both nodded. "I guarantee you, Sam or myself will be in contact with you. Keep an eye on your phones and answer them as soon as they ring."

"Okay," they said in unison. Luke got up and went to his desk, Traci went to hers, and Nick left to use the bathroom.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked when he was alone with Andy. She shrugged and ran her hand through her hair again. "Andy, we'll get Cress tonight. As a cop, I can't promise that, but we're not giving up until we find him and put him in jail."

"Be careful," she told him and he felt his face soften as he leaned closer to her. "From what we've heard and what I just told you, this guy isn't afraid to kill you."

"I'm going to be sitting in a van with Oliver. And we're not going to let anything happen to Callaghan or Nash," he told her. "And I'm going to keep you and Collins updated all night."

They both stood up and she put her arms around his waist and kissed him quickly. "How are you still functioning? You've been here all day," she said and he shrugged. He stepped back and they both walked to his desk, sitting across from each other. "You're going to be working all night. I don't want to sound like your mother, but please be careful."

"You already said that, McNally," he reminded her and she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Hey, we're all going to be fine."

"Okay," she nodded. Nick walked back into the room and Luke stood from his desk.

"Alright, it's time to go," he announced and Sam stood up. "Phones on, you two. Best will be in to give you your assignments, but he understands that they come second to this."

"Good luck," Nick told them and they nodded before leaving together.

On the way to the parking lot, they grabbed Oliver and continued on. "Be careful," Sam said to Luke and Nash.

"Thanks," Luke said, shaking his hand. They got into an unmarked car and Sam and Oliver got into the surveilance van, keeping some space.

"How's McNally?" Oliver asked as they continued on.

"She's worried," Sam told him and he nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "They'll be okay," nodding to the van.

"Yeah," Oliver nodded solemnly. "Sammy, do you ever want to do anything else? We're always getting ourselves into trouble."

"Oliver," Sam sighed. "We do this to keep others out of trouble. I don't want to be doing anything else."

"You're right," he said and Sam looked at him. "Sometimes I wonder."

"I know," he nodded. "Me too."


	17. Morales Mess

**AN: I told you I'd get a chapter up this weekend! I hope you like it. Let me know your thoughts! **

Sam was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital for a couple of hours waiting for news on Luke. He'd been shot while undercover with Nash and Sam went with him to the hospital. Traci and Oliver had taken Cress and Jenna Morales back to the station to be questioned and booked.

He crossed his arms over his chest and rested his eyes. It had been a long day and an even longer night. He was ready for bed, but he'd just have to go back to the station and finish up the case. It was more complicated now that Jenna Morales had shot a cop and it needed to be dealt with.

"Detective?"

Sam opened his eyes and stood up, looking at the doctor that had addressed him. "Yeah?" He asked, rubbing his hands over his face. "Sorry."

"Detective Callaghan's awake," she told him with a smile and he nodded. "You can head in there if you'd like."

"Thank you," he said with his own grateful smile. He followed her down a couple of hallways to Luke's room. He was sitting up, staring out the window. "Callaghan."

"Sammy," he smiled. "What are you still doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay," he explained, sitting down in the chair next to his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," he nodded. And he looked okay as far as Sam could tell. He was lucky the girl was drunk and had no aim. Otherwise, he could have been a lot worse off. "I've been better, but I'm okay."

"That's good," Sam nodded. "Morales and Cress are at the station. Nash and Shaw will be taking care of them until I get there."

"This sucks, Sammy," Luke sighed. "It was the last piece to my big case and I'm here."

"It's better than being dead," Sam said gently. "Take it easy. We'll take care of everything. It's still your case, you know."

"I want to make them suffer," he said and Sam laughed.

"I'll take care of that," he offered and they both laughed. All of a sudden, Luke's face changed from the pain. Sam patted his good shoulder and turned around to see Andy looking in at them. "McNally's here," he said to Luke.

"Yeah?" He said, looking out the small window at her.

"I'll go out and talk to her," Sam said and he nodded. "After that, I'm going to head home before going back to work. Call me if you need anything."

"Thanks."

Sam stood up and left the room. "Hey," he said as he let the door close behind him and took Andy by her arm, pulling her out of Luke's line of sight. She hugged him and then held onto his face to kiss him a few times.

"We need to stop meeting like this," she laughed and he nodded. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Andy," he promised and she nodded. "I'm okay."

"Okay," she said, kissing him again. She smiled and ran her hand through his hair. "I'm going to go check on him. Go home, get some sleep."

"Yeah," he said and then kissed her one last time.

As he walked toward the exit of the hospital, he remembered that he'd come in the ambulance with Luke. He didn't have his truck. He considered calling a cab, but changed his mind when he saw Monica walking toward him.

"Hi, Sam," she smiled and he smiled back. "I heard there was a detective in."

"Detective Callaghan," he confirmed and she nodded. She gestured to the seats and they sat down. "He's okay. Got shot in the shoulder. He'll be off a few weeks."

"I heard. He'll be out of here in a day or two," she told him and he nodded. "How are you?"

"Same as always," he shrugged. The conversation was going fine until she asked about him. He really hated talking about himself, especially with people he used to date.

"You're a detective now," she said and he nodded. "That's new. Congratulations."

"Thanks," he said and then he noticed her look past him and smile.

He turned around and saw Andy walking toward them. "Hey," she said. "I thought you were going home."

"I, uh, forgot that I rode in the ambulance," he told her, standing up. "I was hoping I could bum a ride with you."

"I guess that's okay," she smiled. "Hi, I'm Andy," she said, extending her hand toward Monica.

"Monica," she smiled, standing up to shake her hand. "We've met before, actually. A couple of years ago."

"Oh, yeah," Andy nodded. "I remember. Are you Detective Callaghan's doctor?"

"No, but I heard he's going to be all right. He should be out in a couple of days."

"He seems like he's doing well," Sam said, looking between the two of them.

"Well, I'll let you go," Monica said, putting her hands into the pockets of her lab coat. "She's right. You need to go home. Get some sleep."

"Yeah," Sam laughed. The women said goodbye and Sam walked away with Andy.

"Sam?" Monica called after a few steps. Both he and Andy turned to look at her. "I'm really sorry about Jerry. I know how much he meant to you."

He wasn't expecting that. He appreciated the sentiment, but the subject of Jerry was still too much for him. "Uh, thanks," he said, looking down at his feet. He felt Andy's hand on his shoulder and let out a breath.

"I should have called when I found out."

"No," he said, looking up and shaking his head. "It's okay."

She nodded and smiled before turning around. Sam turned to leave when he felt Andy watching him. When she caught up to him, she held onto his hand. "You okay?" She asked and he nodded. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nope," he said, looking at her and squeezing her hand. "I don't."

"Okay," she nodded. He took his hand from hers and put his arm across her shoulders. "Can I say something?" She asked, putting her arm across his back.

"I wish you wouldn't," he said honestly. "But that won't stop you."

"No," she smiled as they walked outside. "If you ever need to talk to someone about Jerry and don't want to talk to me, that's fine. But you have a partner who knows exactly what you've been going through and she would love to talk to you about it."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Good."

He knew that Traci would be willing to talk about Jerry, but he just wasn't there yet. He wasn't even sure if he ever would be. But, he would keep her in mind if the opportunity ever came up. She and Oliver and Andy were the only two people he could see talking to about him ever.

When they got into her car, Sam yawned. "Do you want to go home or do you want to pick your truck up first?" Andy asked and he shrugged, yawning again. "We'll go home," she laughed, pulling out of the lot.

* * *

Sam walked out of the bedroom, pulling on a sweatshirt, to find Andy making lunch in the kitchen. "How did you sleep?" She asked and he shrugged, putting his hands deep in his pockets.

"Fine," he said, sitting down as she finished up. She slid him a sandwich and started making one for herself. "Hey, do you think you could give me a ride to the station when we're done? I want to help Nash and Oliver with this case."

"Yeah," she nodded, sitting next to him. "I've got to get back to work anyway."

He smiled and rested his hand on her thigh for the rest of their lunch. When they were done, Sam stood up and cleaned the dishes while Andy went into the bedroom. He considered changing into something else, but he was too exhausted to change, so he just waited for Andy. She walked out, dressed, and he zipped his sweatshirt up while she walked toward him.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah," he nodded and she smiled as he put his hand on the small of her back and led her toward the front door.

"Are you okay, Sam?" She asked as they walked down to the parking lot.

"I'm fine, McNally," he told her. He was, really, but he was exhausted. He also felt really bad for Luke. He now knew how Andy felt about the case; he just wanted it to be over- for him and for his friends.

She drove them to the station and they walked in without talking. When they reached the locker rooms, they stopped and turned toward each other. "I know I can't get my hands dirty with your case, but can you keep me updated, please?" Andy asked and he nodded. "Thank you," she said, standing tall to kiss his cheek.

Sam smiled and they turned away from each other. He walked into the Detectives' Office and found it empty. He walked toward the interview rooms and he stepped into the first observation room to find Frank. He nodded and stood toward the back of the small room, watching Oliver talking to Jacob Cress.

After Oliver led him back to his cell, Frank turned toward Sam. "Go get Jenna Morales," he told him. "I want both you and Shaw in there with her."

"Got it, Boss," Sam said, leaving the observation room and running into Nash. "How are you doing, Nash?"

"I'm fine," she nodded, watching Oliver walk Cress down the hallway. "How are you? How's Callaghan?"

"I'm fine," he insisted, crossing his arms. "Callaghan will be okay. He'll be out a few weeks, but he's alive."

"Thank god," she breathed. "Where are you off to?"

"I need to question Jenna Morales," he told her and she nodded. "You can head home."

"No," she shook her head. "I'll observe and help you out. I was there, I want to help."

"Okay," he smiled, letting his arms fall to his side. "We'll be in there," he nodded to the interview room Oliver had just left and she nodded, walking into observation.

Sam walked down the hall and watched Oliver locking Cress up. "Hey, Brother," he said when he turned around. "Picking up Jenna?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "Frank wants us both in there. Meet you there?"

"You know it," Oliver smiled, patting him on the back as he walked passed him.

Sam took a deep breath and unlocked Jenna Morales' cell. "Who are you?" She asked, looking him up and down.

"Detective Swarek," he said brusquely.

"You don't look like a detective," she told him as he cuffed her. "You look like a mess."

"Well, I'm a little exhausted," he said, leading her out by her upper arm. "I spent the night at the hospital with the _cop_ you shot."

They walked back to interview without any more words shared between them. He nodded at Oliver as they entered the room and sat Jenna down across from him. Sam pulled an empty chair next to Oliver and let him start the interrogation, sitting back with his arms cross and eyes narrowed on her.

* * *

After hours with Jenna Morales and more time with Jacob Cress, Sam and Oliver were finally told to go home. As they walked toward the locker rooms, Sam had his head down, but he looked up when Oliver elbowed him in the side.

"Go home, you two," Oliver said and Chris and Andy smiled. "Good job with that break in."

"Thanks," they said together and Oliver nodded.

"How did everything go with Cress?" Andy asked.

"Good," Sam nodded. "Nothing to worry about."

"What about his girlfriend?" Chris asked, looking at Andy. "The one that shot Detective Callaghan?"

"She was actually pretty helpful," Oliver told them. "But she did shoot a cop, so she's going to have a rough go of it. No deals can be cut after something like that."

"Yeah," Andy nodded and Sam could see the disappointment on her face."Well, I'm going to get changed. Have a good night," she said to Oliver before smiling at Sam and walking away.

Sam and Oliver continued to their cars and Oliver turned to him. "Go home, get some rest," Oliver advised and Sam smiled.

"Yeah, you too, Brother."

"See you in a couple of days."

Sam nodded and climbed into his truck. He drove straight home and rested back on the couch and put his arm over his eyes. He shook awake to Andy's hand on his face.

"Hey," he said, moving his arm. "I didn't mean to fall asleep on the couch."

"I'm surprised you even made it to the couch," she laughed and he pushed himself to sit up. "Did everything really go all right today?"

"Yeah," he nodded, followed by a yawn. "I talked to Callaghan, too. He's doing okay."

"That's good," she smiled. "Come on," she said, pulling him to stand by his hand. "We've both got a couple of days off to sleep."

As they walked toward their room, he put his arm across her shoulders and kissed her on the temple.


End file.
